New Love
by beama
Summary: This is a story about Ephram and a new girl named Lily. The summary may not be the best, but I promise the story is better! Complete! Sequel Pending.
1. Whose That Girl?

*A/N I have changed the layout of my story so the chapters are longer, but it is still the same story. Please read and review. Also feel free to give me your ideas, I am always open to new ideas. Thanks.

Ephram was at his locker getting his books for class when he saw her. He just glanced over and there she was, walking down the hall. She looked like she had just stepped out of his high school in New York. She was beautiful. She was about 5'5", slender and walked with great confidence as if she owned the hallway. Her brown hair had maroon streaks and it lay perfectly straight down her back. She was wearing red and black plaid pants and a black tank top. Her wrists were adorned with black and red bracelets that jingled when she walked. Her held was held high and she stared straight ahead not even noticing Ephram as she walked past him.

_I've got to get to know her_, Ephram thought.

Ephram was sitting in English class, his last class before lunch. He had been contemplating all morning how he was going to approach the new girl. Apparently he wasn't the only one infatuated by her. All morning he had heard rumors about why she was here in Everwood and where she was from. But Ephram didn't trust the rumors and opted to get to know her personally. Besides he highly doubted her dad was killed by drug dealers and her and her mom were in the witness protection program.

Ephram's thoughts were interrupted when the class fell silent. There she was, walking into class. She was about to take her seat when the teacher, Mr. Rodgers, came over to her.

"Not so fast," He told her, "Go ahead and stand up and introduce your self to the class."

She looked at him and frowned. 

"Go on now," Mr. Rodgers urged.

She turned to the class. "My name is Lily Anders." She then proceeded to sit down.

"Don't you want to tell us more," Mr. Rodgers asked her, "Maybe where you are from or anything else in that matter."

"No," Lily said matter-of-factly.

"Ok," Mr. Rodgers said heading to the front of the classroom.

Mr. Rodgers began explaining poetry but Ephram was not listening. He was too busy watching Lily, who was two seats in front of him. 

_Well I know her name and that's a start_, he thought.

As soon as the bell rang Lily was out of her seat and out the door. Ephram tried to catch up with her, but she was too quick and he lost her in the maze of kids. 

Ephram scanned the lunch room for Lily but did not see her. He got his lunch and chose a back table by himself to eat. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even notice Amy until she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ephram are you ok?" she asked.

Ephram looked up, "Oh hey, I didn't see you."

"Obviously," Amy said as she sat down next to Ephram, "Why are you sitting all alone? You know you can come sit with me."

"I know I just wanted to be alone today," Ephram replied.

"But nothing's wrong?" asked Amy.

Ephram shook his head, "Nope."

"Ok," Amy said as she got up to leave.

"Wait," Ephram stopped her, "Have you met the new girl, Lily."

"No, at least not formally," Amy answered, "But if you ask me, I think she is odd."

"Why do you say that?" Ephram asked Amy.

"She just…I dunno," Amy sighed. "She doesn't talk to anyone and she eats by herself outside…She is too antisocial. Why do you ask?"

Ephram started to get up. "I am just curious. Thanks Amy. Bye"

"Bye" Amy said with a questioning look on her face, but Ephram was already halfway across the lunch room.

Ephram walked outside and proceeded to look for Lily. It didn't take him long since she was the only person outside. Just as Amy had said she was sitting on the ground, a crumpled paper sack at her side. She was writing in a notebook and didn't seem to notice Ephram approaching.

Ephram shoved his hands in his jeans. All of a sudden he couldn't speak. 

Lily looked up. "Do you need something?" she frowned at Ephram and slammed her notebook shut.

"I was just…I have you in class…I wanted to say," Ephram blushed. "My name's Ephram."

Lily stared at Ephram without speaking. Her face showed no emotion, which made Ephram even more uneasy.

"I know you are new and I was new last year," Ephram said, "And I know how it sucks not knowing anyone."

"It doesn't suck," Lily replied not taking her eyes off Ephram. "Look I don't need anyone and I would appreciate it if you would just leave me alone."

Ephram was shocked at how unfriendly she was. His anger gave him courage and he spoke to her with renewed confidence. "I came over here trying to be nice. I thought maybe I could show you around Everwood and introduce you to people. I figured you could use the help, since your attitude isn't going to win you any friends."

Lily stared at him, her mouth open in shock. She stood up and glared at Ephram. "I didn't ask for your pity and I sure as hell don't want your help. Apparently my attitude is not bad enough if people like you think you can waltz over here and become my buddy."

Lily grabbed her stuff off the ground, glared once more at Ephram, and walked off.


	2. Lily

"How was school?" Dr. Brown asked as Ephram walked into the kitchen.

"Fine," Ephram replied while he searched the refrigerator for a snack, "What's for dinner?"

"I don't know, you'll have to ask Nina," Dr. Brown said. Ephram gave his dad a questioning look. 

Before Dr. Brown could explain Delia came running into the living room. "Dad, do I have to dress up!? I mean, I already know Nina and Sam." Delia crossed her arms and frowned.

"Just don't wear your cap and you will be fine," Dr. Brown told Delia, "And brush your hair." He yelled at her as she rushed back upstairs.

Dr. Brown turned to his son. "Apparently there is a new woman in town, Beth Anders, and she is a teacher at Sam's school. Nina thought it would be nice to invite her and us over for dinner, since they don't know anybody yet. She has a daughter that goes to the high school. I don't know if she has started school yet, but she is your age."

"Yeah I know," Ephram muttered. He played with the apple he had chosen as a snack, not feeling hungry anymore. The thought of seeing Lily again made his stomach do flip flops. He wanted to see her, but after what happened at lunch he was kind of hoping to avoid her for a while.

"So you've met her," Dr. Brown's voice cut into Ephram's thoughts.

Ephram looked up from the apple in his hands. "Yeah, but the meeting was not pleasant."

"Why not?" questioned Dr. Brown.

"I am not exactly sure why. I tried talking to her, but she made it clear she wants nothing to do with me, or anyone else for that matter."

"Odd," Dr. Brown replied. "Nina said Beth is a very sweet soft spoken woman."

"Well her daughter definitely does not take after her," Ephram told his dad.

Dr. Brown patted Ephram's shoulder. "We are meeting at Nina's house at 6 o'clock. So be ready then and don't spoil your appetite too much." 

"Do I have to go?" Ephram asked.

"Yes," Dr. Brown replied as he headed upstairs.

Ephram was sitting on Nina's couch. Lily and her mom hadn't shown up yet and Ephram was so nervous. Delia and Sam were playing with Sam's cars on the floor and Nina and Dr. Brown were talking in the kitchen. Ephram just knew he would be expected to entertain Lily after dinner. Nina and Mrs. Anders would assume that they would want to hang out together. And would his dad chime in and say, let's all hang out, so he wouldn't have to be alone with her…NO…his dad would just go along with it. 

Then he heard it, the knock on the door. Ephram had never wanted to disappear as much as he did right now. 

"That must be them," Nina said in a chipper voice. She went to answer the door and Dr. Brown called Delia, Sam, and Ephram into the dining room. Nina came in a few seconds later with Mrs. Anders and Lily behind her. Ephram could tell Lily hadn't seen him yet and he was not prepared for what she would say once she saw him.

Nina started the introductions. "Beth and Lily Anders this is my son Sam, and our next door neighbors the Browns. This is Dr. Andrew Brown and his daughter Delia and his son Ephram," Nina pointed as she talked. 

Mrs. Anders shook everyone's hand and Lily followed suit. When she got to Ephram she shook his hand and smiled, "We've already met," she stated, to no one in particular. 

"Oh you have, that's wonderful," her mom sounded relieved.

"Okay let's eat," Nina said and with that Nina led everyone to their seat at the table. Purposely Nina sat Lily across from Ephram.

Nina passed the food around and everything started off well. Ephram didn't speak to Lily and Lily barely spoke at all. Mrs. Anders talked about their home in Denver and how nice the people in Everwood are. She never talked specifically about why they had moved, she just stated Denver was becoming a city where she felt she shouldn't raise a teenager. Then somehow in the middle of dinner the conversation took an awkward turn and landed point blank on Lily and Ephram.

"So how did you meet?" asked Nina innocently, not knowing what the truth held.

Lily spoke up before Ephram could respond. "We met at lunch. Ephram came up to me and introduced himself and then we just started talking," Lily looked at Ephram and smiled, "I don't know what made him talk to me, but it was a sweet gesture."

Lily's smile looked more like a smirk to Ephram, but he didn't want to cause a scene so he just kept his mouth shut.

"Well that was awfully nice of you Ephram," Mrs. Anders commented, "I know Lily can be shy and it sometimes takes her a while to make friends." She smiled at her daughter.

_That's an understatement,_ thought Ephram.

"Also Lily is going to work for me at the diner," Nina said, "Just part time but I can sure use the help."

Ephram couldn't believe this. The Lily sitting here in front of him and the Lily at lunch were two completely different people. It was like she had split personalities. 

To Ephram's relief the conversation turned away from him and Lily. Ephram stayed silent for the rest of the dinner, hoping to not become the topic of discussion again.

Once everyone had finished, just as Ephram had expected, Nina directed everyone to separate places. 

"Delia and Sam why don't you two go play in the living room?"

Delia and Sam rushed from the table into the living room. Ephram quickly got up and started clearing the table, hoping to avoid being paired off with Lily. 

Nina reached over and stopped Ephram. "I got this, why don't you and Lily go hang out on the porch? It is a beautiful night." 

Ephram wanted to scream no, but he knew it was not a question. Lily got up from the table, "Thank you for dinner Nina," she smiled and then motioned for Ephram to follow her outside.

When they got outside Lily sat down on Nina's porch railing facing Ephram who was standing right outside the door. 

"You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette would you?" she asked in her normal unsweet voice.

_Great she is going to turn back into a witch, _Ephram thought.

"No." Ephram answered, "But if you smoke why don't you have cigarettes?"

"I only smoke sometimes, when I am stressed out," Lily replied.

_What is this? Is she actually talking to me like a normal person? And she has feelings? Who would have known? _Ephram thought sarcastically.

Ephram walked over to Lily. "Why are you stressed out now?"

Lily laughed, "Didn't you see me in there? I hate pretending."

"Then why did you?" Ephram inquired.

"My mom wants to make friends and I don't want to ruin that for her. If people know what a loser her daughter is they might not like her. And you saw how great my mom is. She deserves friends," Lily told Ephram.

"Is that why you don't want friends, cause you think you don't deserve them?" Ephram asked.

"Don't try to psycho analyze me. I just like being alone, ok," Lily answered in an agitated voice.

They sat in silence for a moment. Ephram was contemplating all Lily had told him, trying to figure her out. She was such a contradiction. 

Finally Lily spoke, "How did your mom die?"

"So now you want to know something about me? Why the sudden interest?" Ephram asked.

Lily's eyes met Ephram's, "It is not just to satisfy my curiosity if that's what you are implying." Then her voice softened and she looked down. "Sometimes when someone tells you something horrible that happened to them, it is easier to tell them the horrible thing that happened to you."

"She died in a car accident," Ephram responded, a lump rising in his throat, "What happened to you?" Ephram asked in a gentle voice.

Lily didn't look up. "My father," she paused.  Ephram had to lean in to hear her barely audible voice. "He died a month ago. I watched him die." Lily looked up and with her head held high and her eyes glistening with tears she continued, as if talking to herself, "It was the most depressing, heart wrenching thing I have ever been through. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like hours."

Ephram touched Lily's hand and she jumped a little, but didn't try to move his hand. 

"I'm so…" 

Lily interrupted. "Don't say you're sorry. I am tired of hearing that." Lily got off the rail and stood beside Ephram. "I don't know why I told you what I did, but don't go thinking I want to be your best friend now."

Ephram sighed, "You don't have to worry about that. I don't have a clue what you want from me."

"Look Ephram," Lily started, "I don't know why you are trying to be my friend. You don't seem like the type of guy that goes around trying to be everyone's friend."

"When you aren't being rude you are actually pretty cool," Ephram answered, "Plus I think we have more in common then you think."

Lily smiled, "Well you're not as bad as I thought you were. And I am sorry I was a jerk to you at lunch and I appreciate you listening to me."

"So now what?" asked Ephram, "Are we going to talk ever again? Are you going to attempt to be my friend?"

"Sure" Lily replied, "But I don't think you know what you're getting into."

"I think you're right," Ephram smiled at Lily, "But I like taking risks sometimes.


	3. A Friendship Begins

Ephram was walking to his locker when he heard someone call his name.

"Hey Ephram wait up."

He turned around and saw Amy approaching him. He couldn't help but smile. Through all that they had gone through the past year they were able to remain friends. Unfortunately only friends, but that was better than nothing. He still had feelings for her and found himself thinking about how great she looked. Her golden hair flowed like silk and she was wearing a soft flowery shirt and form fitting jeans.

_Man she looks good, _Ephram thought.

"What's up?" he asked casually trying to play it cool.

"Well, I kinda have this favor to ask you," she said.

"What is it?" Ephram asked opening his locker.

"Well I am planning a surprise party for your dad to thank him for what he did for Colin. I am inviting all his friends and I thought you could help me out since you know your dad. I want it to be perfect," Amy told Ephram.

Ephram shut his locker. "I don't know how much help I will be, but I'll try."

Just then the bell rang.

"Great, meet me at my house at 5. Thank you so much," Amy said as she hurried off to class. 

Ephram walked into English class, still smiling thinking about how he was going to be alone with Amy. He sat down and was getting out his book when Lily walked in. She sat down in front of Ephram. 

"Hey" she said out of breath.

Ephram put his book down on his desk. "I haven't seen you all morning." 

"Yeah I had some stuff to take care of. I had to run just to make it to this class."

Lily got out her notebook and then turned around and focused on Mr. Rodgers who was calling roll.

Ephram watched Lily who was intently writing in the notebook she had been writing in yesterday. 

_Mr. Rodger's can't be talking about anything so important to warrant that many notes, _Ephram thought. 

Ephram started thinking about Lily and what had happened last night. She was pleasant enough before class, so maybe she really did want to try and be his friend. He wouldn't mind getting to know her; she seemed cool once you got passed her temper. Ephram kept watching Lily, oblivious to Mr. Rodgers. 

_She is pretty attractive especially since she doesn't look like every other girl in Everwood_, thought Ephram.

Lily was wearing a navy blue girl scout's shirt and black Dickies with a pair of black converse shoes. Her wrists were covered with over a dozen blue and black bracelets. Her hair was down with several little braids in it. 

_Yep, she is definitely_ _attractive, _Ephram thought with a smile on his lips.

It was lunch and Lily and Ephram were sitting outside under a tree.

"Tomorrow we are sitting inside," Ephram said flicking an ant off his arm.

"I don't know how you can stand to eat in there with all those jerks," Lily complained.

"I'm not partial to all the people, but it is air conditioned and bug free," Ephram replied.

"I'm not holding you hostage," Lily took a sip of her water, "You are more than welcome to go join your lunch buddies"

"I am attempting to be your friend and I assumed that meant I need to spend time with you. You know and maybe get to know you some more." Ephram said sarcastically.

"I'm just telling you," Lily answered.

Ephram bit into his sandwich. He didn't mind being outside so much. It was a lot quieter.

_I wonder if Amy is wondering where I'm at, _Ephram thought.

"So Ephram, tell me about yourself."

"Um…" Ephram thought, "My dad already told you a lot at dinner last night."

"So it is all true. You are a modern Mozart who is trapped inside a teenager's body. You hated Everwood, but have adjusted quite well. You are basically a good kid, cuz you don't do drugs or get drunk," Lily said quoting Dr. Brown.

Ephram laughed, "Pretty much. Except he left out a few things."

"Of course," Lily replied, "So what did he leave out?"

"I love comics and I have gotten drunk, once. Oh and I am by no means popular."

Lily laughed, "You know you look a lot edgier than you really are."

"I feel like I should be offended," Ephram said raising his eyebrows.

"No it isn't bad. It's actually kinda cute. You look like you'd party a lot and take advantage of girls."

"Really? I've never been told that before. And it couldn't be farther from the truth," Ephram said with a smirk.

"I know that now, that was just my first impression. Maybe it was just my experience."

"Ok, enough about me. Tell me about yourself. Other than the fact that you are good in school and a little bit shy, since that is all your mom really said about you," Ephram finished his sandwich and looked over at Lily.

"Well, I like to party and dance. I love to write. I like guys, dating them, kissing them," Lily sighed.

Ephram blushed at her last statement. "Wow you are honest."

"Did you expect otherwise. Besides it's not like I said I love sex or anything."

Ephram blushed even more. Lily noticed and laughed. "Am I embarrassing you?"

"Yes, considering I have only known you a day and you are a female telling me, a male, about kissing guys. Isn't that something girls only talk about with other girls?"

"I guess. But I don't care much for girls. I find it hard to get close to them without them trying to compete with me over one thing or another," Lily smiled thinking about how much fun it was seeing Ephram blush. "How long has it been since you've kissed a girl?"

Ephram's cheeks were burning.

_I can't believe she is asking me this, _thought Ephram.

Just then the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. 

Lily got up crumpling her paper bag in her hand "Saved by the bell."

Ephram got up relieved. 

They threw their lunch away and walked into the school together in silence.

It was a few minutes before 5 and Ephram was standing outside Amy's house. He rang the doorbell. A few seconds later Amy answered the door.

"Hey, come on in," Amy said opening the door and letting Ephram in.

Amy led Ephram into the dinning room. As he walked in a wave of disappointment washed over him. There sitting at the table was Colin.

_How could I have been so naïve? Of course he is here, he's the one my dad saved, _Ephram thought beating himself up.

"We've already started and we just need your input on a few things. Then you are free to go. I don't want to bore you with all the details," Amy told Ephram.

Ephram sat down at the end of the table and Amy sat down next to Colin. 

_This is gonna be fun, _thought Ephram sarcastically.


	4. Friday

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lily and Ephram made their way through the maze of kids in the lunchroom. Ephram found a table by the wall and sat down, Lily sat across from him. 

"I can't even hear myself think," Lily said over the noise in the lunchroom. 

"What?" Ephram teased.

Lily threw him an annoyed look.

Ephram smiled, "It isn't that bad."

"Whatever." Lily wrinkled her nose at her lunch. "Remind me never to forget my lunch."

"Lily, never forget your lunch," Ephram joked.

"Funny," Lily said sarcastically.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Ephram asked in between bites of his hamburger.

"Nothing yet," Lily answered "Why?"

Ephram took of swig of his water. "Remember when Nina and my dad were talking about Colin, that boy my dad saved."

"Sure," Lily replied poking at her lunch with her fork.

"Well Colin and his girlfriend, Amy, are throwing a thank you party for my dad. They are inviting all his friends and you and your mom should come. It will be at Colin's house."

"I'll ask my mom, which is probably a yes. Do you know this Colin guy well?" Asked Lily.

"Kinda. I knew Amy first and after Colin came back to school we hung out a little, but not so much anymore."

"How come?" Lily asked taking a cautious bite of her spaghetti.

Ephram sighed, "While he was in the hospital Amy and I got close, if you know what I mean. And…"

Lily interrupted Ephram, "You slept with a girl whose boyfriend was dying!"

"No." Ephram said quickly, "We just kissed a couple times. Colin found out and he tried kicking my ass. We haven't spoken since, with the exception of yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?"

"I went to Amy's house to help plan the party for my dad and Colin was there."

"Did he talk to you?" Lily asked intrigued by Ephram's story.

"A little."

Lily shook her head, "No wonder you want me to go to the party." Lily drank some of her water and smiled at Ephram. "I will definitely go."

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­School had just ended and Ephram and Lily were walking out of the building together.

"Man, I don't want to write a poem for Mr. Rodgers," Ephram complained.

"Aww, poor baby," Lily teased, "It isn't due until Monday so you have the whole weekend to work on it."

"How come you aren't sweating it?"

"I like to write," Lily shrugged.

Just then Ephram spotted Amy walking by herself.

"Good she's alone," Ephram said grabbing Lily's hand as he walked towards Amy.

"What the hell?" Lily muttered.

"Hey Amy," Ephram said as he approached her with Lily by his side. He quickly dropped Lily's hand. A big smirk came across Lily's face and she stood with her arms crossed watching Amy.

"Hi," Amy said glancing at Lily.

"Amy this is Lily," he said pointing at Lily. Lily nodded still smirking.

"Hi," Amy said looking back at Ephram with a questioning look on her face.

"Lily's mom is a friend of Nina's and my dad, so I was wondering if Lily and her mom could come to the party tomorrow."

"Well if they are a friend of your dad's that's fine," Amy said unenthusiastically.

"Thanks Amy," Ephram said smiling.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 6 o'clock. Don't be late. Bye" Amy said walking away.

"Bye," Ephram turned to Lily. "What is that look for?" He asked noticing her smirk.

"So that is the girl you made out with? She's seems so…"Lily searched for the right word.

"She's seems so what?" Ephram asked obviously annoyed.

"She's seems so not your type," Lily finally answered.

"Actually, I'm not her type," Ephram said with a sigh.


	5. Saturday

It was 7:20 Saturday night and Lily and Ephram were standing in the kitchen eating some chips and queso. Everyone else was in the living room mingling. 

"I can't believe Colin gave a speech thanking my dad," Ephram said dipping his chip into the queso.

"He even had my mom crying and she doesn't even know him," Lily took a sip of her punch

"We didn't cry," Ephram pointed out.

Lily looked at Ephram and put her hand to her heart, "But I was crying inside."

"Whatever," Ephram said throwing a chip at her.

Just then Bright walked into the kitchen. "Hey Ephram, you have yet to introduce me to your friend," he said looking approvingly at Lily.

"Lily this is Amy's brother, Bright," Ephram said in a bored voice. Then he continued eating his chips. 

Bright walked over to Lily and extended his hand. Lily shook it politely.

"You haven't been here long have you?" Bright asked Lily.

"Only a week, but I just started school Wednesday," Lily answered.

"Has Ephram shown you around Everwood yet," Bright asked smiling.

"Yes he has," Lily lied. Ephram glanced over at Lily and she smiled. 

"Oh cool," Bright said obviously disappointed. 

"Well it was nice meeting you Bright," Lily said even though neither of them had made any move to exit the kitchen. Bright stood there a second not sure what to do. Finally, realizing the conversation had ended he headed into the living room.

"I take it you were not too impressed with Bright," Ephram asked clearly amused.

"Look I already have one more friend then I bargained for," Lily responded lightly. "I start at the diner on Monday," Lily said changing the subject.

"What are your hours?" Ephram asked her.

"I will work 5 to 9 every Monday through Thursday night. I won't have a lot of hours, but my mom wanted it that way. She said I need to concentrate more on school. But Nina told me I can work more hours if she is ever shorthanded," Lily explained.

"I will have to bug you when you work. I can play a disrespectful customer so you can learn how to handle them," Ephram teased.

"And that is different from your usual personality how?" Lily teased back.

Lily turned her gaze to the living room, watching all the people talking and laughing. She glanced at Amy who was sitting on the couch with Colin. She noticed Amy kept glancing in the direction of the kitchen. She was obviously watching Ephram. Lily turned to Ephram who was busy scraping queso out of the bowl with a chip.

"Amy was the last girl you kissed wasn't she?" asked Lily.

Ephram looked up from the queso bowl. "Shh, we can't talk about that here."

"No one can hear us," Lily groaned.

"Actually no," Ephram whispered, "The last girl I kissed was Colin's sister."

"How long ago was it?" asked Lily.

"Last February."

"Shit! So you haven't kissed a girl in…" Lily counted the months on her fingers, "...7 months."

"What's the big deal?" Ephram frowned at Lily.

"That's just a long time is all. Where is Colin's sister now?"

"She went back to boarding school."

"Did you date long?" asked Lily.

"No, we only went on a couple of dates. Has anyone told you that you ask a lot of questions?" Ephram asked fiddling with the empty bowl in his hands.

"I just ask more questions then you." Lily drank the rest of her punch and then straightened her shirt. "Let's get outta here."

"I don't know if I am allowed to leave. It is my dad's party."

"No one cares about us. Come on."

With that Lily headed to the living room and Ephram followed. Lily went up to her mom who was talking to Nina. 

"Hi Honey," Mrs. Anders said putting her arm around her daughter. 

"Mom Ephram and I want to leave. This party is getting boring."

"Maybe if you would talk to other people," Mrs. Anders said with a sigh, "Where do you want to go?"

Lily shrugged and looked at Ephram. Ephram thought for a second. "The high school is having a football game. It probably won't end for another couple of hours."

Mr. Anders smiled, "Perfect. You can go as long as you try meeting people."

"Fine. I'll even bring home some phone numbers."

"Don't be sarcastic." Mrs. Anders scolded her daughter.

"I'm leaving now." Lily said, "Oh and tell Dr. Brown Ephram's with me ok. Bye"

Lily and Ephram started walking to the door, before anyone else could stop them. Only one other person was paying attention to them as they left. Amy watched them go wondering where they were going.

Once they were safely past Colin's house Lily turned to Ephram. "There's not really a game is there?"

"Yep," Ephram replied "And we are going to it."

"Why," Lily whined.

"Because we told your mom we were and I am not going to lie to your mom."

"I hate football."

"So do I." Ephram agreed with Lily. "But which is the lesser of two evils?" 

"Football," Ephram and Lily said in unison.

At the stadium Ephram and Lily choose the highest seats possible. There were only two other couples up there and they were too busy making out to notice Ephram and Lily.

"Talk about rubbing your celibacy in your face," Lily said pointing at the couples.

"It's not that bad." Ephram said clearly aggravated by her comment. "When was the last time you kissed a guy?" Ephram mocked.

"A week and a half ago."

"Were you telling your boyfriend good-bye or something?" Ephram asked.

"No. I've never had a boyfriend."

Ephram looked at Lily and raised his eyebrows.

"I just date guys and it never becomes serious," Lily explained. "There was this really hot guy I liked who I never had the chance to date. So the night before I left I called him up and asked to hang out with him. At the end of the night we ended up kissing for a little bit." 

"See that is how girls are luckier than guys. If a girl wants to kiss a guy he's probably not going to turn her down. But when a guy tries to kiss a girl, she freaks out and ignores him." Ephram said bitterly.

"Is that what Amy did to you," Lily asked.

"How'd you guess?" Ephram asked leaning back and stretching his legs out in front of him.

"It's not rocket science." Lily responded as she wiggled around trying to get comfortable on the hard seat. 

Ephram looked at Lily. "There is one thing I don't know about you that I have wondered about."

"Shoot," Lily said finally settling into a semi-comfortable position.

"Why did you and your mom move here? Your mom was very vague."

"Once I tell you I'll have to kill you." Lily joked.

Ephram's voice got serious, "If it makes you uncomfortable you don't have to tell me." 

"No, I do. If this friendship is going to work I need to be open with you." Lily sighed, "It's a long story."

Ephram smiled at Lily. "I have time," he reassured her. 

Lily started, "In case you weren't able to tell, my mom is very young to have a 16 year old daughter. That is cuz she had me when she was 17. And like most teenage fathers, my dad, who was also 17, was not fit to be a father. He loved to party and he was into drugs. My mom partied with him but never did anything other than pot, at least that is what she tells me. Of course when she found out she was pregnant she settled down real quick. My dad tried to be there for her, but he was of little support. Since he was still doing drugs my mom told him to stay away from her and their baby. And he did, for 16 years. Then one day in June, out of the blue, he came knocking at our door, literally. He had tracked us down and wanted to see me. My mom refused but I wanted to see him and so I threw some clothes in a bag and left. And for two months I stayed with my dad. He lived in a city outside Denver with some friends, so my mom was unable to track me down." Lily paused and looked at Ephram. "It's about to get sad."

Ephram took Lily's hand and placed it between his, "I'm listening," he said sincerely. 

Lily could feel a lump in her throat and so she stared straight ahead. She knew if she looked at Ephram she would start crying. She had never told anyone about her father and it was so hard to do. She cleared her throat. "For those two months my dad and I spent every moment together. We partied all the time and he was still doing drugs, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be with him. When I partied with him I tried some stuff, but I always made sure I was alert and able to take care of my dad. He was so out of it at parties. But we didn't just party. We went out to eat, went to the movies and stuff like that. Then on Aug. 15 my father died. We were at a party and he overdosed…." Tears started spilling down Lily's cheeks. "I saw him. His whole body was convulsing. I was so scared. I couldn't move at first and then somehow I found a phone and called an ambulance. I remember people yelling at me telling me to not call the police. They didn't want to be arrested. They didn't even care that my dad was dying. By the time the ambulance got there most of the people had left and my dad…had already died." Lily swallowed hard and continued, still not looking at Ephram. "The police questioned me and then took me home. My mom was so upset. She didn't let me out of her sight for 2 weeks. Then one day she informed me she had a job offer in Everwood and we were leaving in a week. Word had spread at the school she was teaching at and people were saying some nasty stuff. She couldn't stand it and wanted us to have a fresh start. So here we are." Lily concluded finally turning to Ephram.

Ephram put his arm around Lily and held her to him.

"My dad wasn't bad." Lily whispered, "He just made wrong choices. And I don't regret getting to know him, even if it was on his terms. He could have died without me ever knowing him." Lily cried softly. 

Ephram could feel Lily's shoulders heave and he knew she was crying even though he couldn't hear her. 

_She's so good at acting tough, she even knows how to cry silently, _Ephram thought hugging Lily tighter.

"Thank you for telling me," Ephram whispered, "I know that took a lot of guts."

"Thank you for listening"

And that's how they stayed for a while, Ephram holding Lily while she cried soundlessly.


	6. The Morning After

It was Sunday morning and Ephram was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal wearing black pajama pants and a white t-shirt. Dr. Brown was sitting across from him reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. Delia was sitting next to Ephram also eating a bowl of cereal. 

Dr. Brown looked up from his paper. "That was a nice party yesterday. Don't you think so?"

"Sure." Ephram said flatly.

"I wish you would have stayed and talked more with the guests."

"Well that just isn't my style now is it dad? I can't be anti-social while mingling with everyone." Ephram said sarcastically, "Besides I was with Lily."

"Yeah I noticed," Dr. Brown replied slowly sipping his coffee, "I thought she hated you."

"She did, but she's over that now."

Delia looked up at Ephram, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Nope, we are just friends," Ephram drank the rest of the milk from his bowl and got up from the table, "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

As soon as Lily and her mom got in the house Lily headed up to her room. "I'm going to change." She yelled down to her mom. They had just come from church and Lily was anxious to get out of her uncomfortable dress and shoes.

"Ok," Mrs. Anders replied heading to the kitchen and picking up the phone. She dialed Dr. Brown's number and after two rings he picked up.

"This is Dr. Brown."

"Dr. Brown this is Beth."

"Hi Beth. How are you?"

"Fine. I called to ask if you have enough time for two new patients."

"Of course," Dr. Brown replied honestly. "When can you come in?"

"I can come in tomorrow on my lunch hour. And Lily can come Friday right after school."

"Ok. When is your lunch hour?" asked Dr. Brown.

"11 to noon"

Lily walked into the kitchen, threw her mom a questioning glance and headed to the refrigerator. 

"I am not sure what appointments I have. Edna takes care of that, but I will call her. And let you know before tomorrow," Dr Brown said.

"Ok. Thank you Dr. Brown."

"Bye Beth."

Mrs. Anders hung up the phone. Lily looked up from the sandwich she was making. "Do you want one?" she asked her mom.

"Sure," her mom answered sitting down at the table.

Lily finished the sandwich she was making and handed it to her mom. "Why were you talking to Dr. Brown?" Lily walked over to the counter and started making her sandwich.

"I was just setting up an appointment for us." Mrs. Anders answered before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Lily groaned, "Mom that is weird. Ephram is my friend. I don't want his dad to be my doctor."

"I don't see why you are so upset. Dr. Brown is a professional and I am confident he does not discuss his patients with his children."

Lily grabbed two glasses and filled them with water. She handed one to her mom and she set the other one down with her sandwich, next to her mom. Lily sat down and took a big bite out of her sandwich. 

"As of right now your appointment is Friday after school." Mrs. Anders informed her daughter. "Dr. Brown has to check his schedule but if it changes I will let you know."

Lily frowned, "I am still not happy with this."

"It's either him or Dr. Abbott." Mrs. Anders told Lily.

Lily thought about that for a second. "Why can't we just go to our old doctor in Denver."

"I am not driving four hours to and from Denver just to make you happy. Dr. Brown will be our doctor."

"Fine" Lily said still unhappy with her mom's decision.


	7. Ephram's Poem

It was Sunday night and Lily and her mom were sitting on the couch watching T.V. Lily grabbed another slice of pizza, not taking her eyes off the T.V. 

"How can Ramone say he loves Jessica? She just wants his money." Mrs. Anders said to her daughter her eyes still glued to the T.V.

"It's all Michelle's fault. She left him and didn't tell him she was carrying his baby," Lily said her mouth still full of pizza. She grabbed her coke to wash it all down. 

Every week her mom taped their favorite soap opera, _As the Universe Spins, and on Sunday they watched all the episodes together. Just then the doorbell rang. Mrs. Anders paused the tape and she heard Lily groan. _

"It'll just be a second," Mrs. Anders reassured Lily as she hurried to the door. She opened the door to find Ephram standing on the other side. 

"Hi Ephram," Mrs. Anders greeted opening the door and letting him inside. Lily watched Ephram as he walked over to her. "I need help with my poem." He told her. Lily scooted over on the couch towards her mom. 

She patted the space next to her. "You are gonna have to wait until our show is over."

"What show is it?" he asked only to be shushed by Lily who had turned back to the T.V. So for the next half hour Ephram sat there watching a soap opera. Actually, he was watching Lily and Beth more. They were so into it; they would make comments to each other and even argued a few times. Beth offered a pizza slice to Ephram as she was fast forwarding through the commercials. "There is stuff to drink in the fridge." She told him. Ephram took the slice and got up to get a drink. By then the show had come on again and he was sure neither of them noticed he had left. He grabbed a coke from the refrigerator. He stood in the kitchen eating his pizza and drinking his coke.

After a few minutes he saw that the show had ended. Lily and her mom talked about it for a moment while Ephram polished off the rest of his pizza and coke. 

Lily stretched and got up from the couch. "Okay Ephram you have my undivided attention now. Mom, can we go to my room?" Lily asked already leading Ephram up the stairs.

"Just as long as you leave your door open," Mrs. Anders called to her daughter.

Lily rolled her eyes. "She thinks leaving the door open means I won't make out with the guys I bring up to my room. But I can hear her coming up the stairs a mile away."

Ephram laughed, "My dad doesn't care. I think he is hoping I will make out with someone."

Lily chuckled. "Here's my room." She waved her hand dramatically. Ephram looked around surprised at what he saw. He half expected her room to be black with no windows. But it was quite the opposite. The walls were pale yellow. Her bed spread and curtains matched and were a soft blue. She had photographs all over her wall. She was in many of them, smiling with people her age. There was also a lot of her and her mom. 

"Your room is almost as cute as your pajamas." Ephram said stepping further into the room. 

"What is wrong with my P.J.'s" she asked pretending to be insulted, "My mom got them for me for Christmas last year."

"That explains the yellow ducks." Ephram smiled at Lily's outfit. "But if she got it for you for Christmas how come your shirt is a tank top? How does that keep you warm?"

"I have two tops. One is long sleeved and it has the same design. It's all good." She sat on her bed. "So what do you think of my room?"

"More feminine than I expected."

"You don't think I'm feminine?"

"It's just that you act so tough and I never see you wear anything but pants. But after tonight I definitely think otherwise." Ephram walked over to Lily's desk to get her chair. There was a frame on the desk that caught his eye. He picked up the picture. It was of two teenagers, one who looked like Lily and a boy with his arm around her shoulders. 

"That's my mom and dad before my mom got pregnant. She gave it to me when I was little. It's the only picture I have of him." She explained from her seat on the bed. Ephram put the frame back on the desk and brought the chair over. He placed it across from Lily and sat down. "You look a lot like your mom."

"I know" she stated. "Anyway, back to the task at hand. How much of your poem have you got done?"

"All of it but I don't know if it's any good. I remember you saying you like to write. So I figured you could help me improve it." Ephram took a crumpled unevenly folded paper out of his pocket. "Here you go." He handed it to Lily.

"I take it this is your poem," Lily asked sarcastically. "Go over to my desk and grab my notebook and a pen." Ephram did as he was told and Lily proceeded to read his poem to herself.

_Gone_

_It seems so unreal_

_Like a Dream that won't end_

_But one thing that is real_

_Are the tears I cannot mend_

_The tears just keep on falling_

_Though I try to be strong_

_I know that she's in Heaven_

_But happy seems so wrong_

_No one understands_

_The hurt I feel _

_I never got to say good-bye_

_And now I never will_

Lily looked up from the poem. Ephram was sitting quietly in the chair, her notebook and pen in his hands. "It's about you mom, right?" Ephram nodded. Lily warned, "I'm gonna be honest." Ephram nodded again. Lily continued, "You're no Robert Frost and you're poem lacks any punctuation. But all I want to do is add punctuation. Your poem doesn't need to be changed or altered. It came from your heart Ephram and that makes it beautiful." 

Ephram was surprised by Lily's comment. She sounded sincere and that surprised him further. 

Lily took her notebook and pen from Ephram. She added periods and commas, explaining to Ephram along the way. When she finished she handed Ephram his poem. "Now all you have to do is rewrite it so it is presentable."

"Thanks Lily." Ephram folded his poem and stuck it in his pocket. "Can I read your poem?"

"Um…no…I'd rather you didn't"

Ephram wrinkled his forehead, "Why not? You got to read mine."

"Shit, Ephram. I haven't known you that long and I have already lost tons of my dignity. After Saturday night I don't think I can face being vulnerable to you again for a while." Lily answered honestly.

"I never once thought you were weak. I think you are strong for being able to tell me."

Lily sighed deeply. She wanted so much to be able to bare her soul to Ephram. He seemed like the only person who would still care about her afterwards. But it was too damn difficult. Besides there friendship was new and she didn't want it to get too complicated.

Lily turned to the door, hearing her mom's footsteps on the stairs. A minute later her mom appeared in Lily's doorway. 

"Honey I think you should wear your work clothes to school instead of carrying them in your backpack."

"Nice try mom, but I am not wearing those Britney Spears pants to school. Besides shouldn't you be glad I don't wear revealing clothes to school?" Lily turned to Ephram, "My mom insisted I get new clothes for work. She tried to get me some khaki's, but luckily I won that battle." 

Ephram laughed, "So what did you end up getting?"

"Jeans that are too tight and some solid colored shirts."

Mrs. Anders chimed in not pleased with her daughter's response to her new clothes, "I just want you to fit in. Those clothes you wear make you stick out like a sore thumb."

"Mom," Lily whined "Not this speech again."

"Fine, fine," Mrs. Anders threw her hands up in defeat and walked away heading back downstairs.

"Tight pants, huh? Now I definitely need to visit you at the diner." Ephram said.

"Perv," Lily retorted crossing her hands in front of her.

They both laughed. The conversation from before was not forgotten, but both were glad for the diversion.


	8. Lily's Poem

Ephram knocked on Lily's door Monday morning. He had offered to walk with her to school. Lily came to the door. "Bye," Lily yelled to her mom walking onto the porch. Lily was wearing a black pair of pants that fell a little below her bellybutton. Her black ribbed tank top had the words "Rock N' Roll" sprawled across the top in silver letters. Her bracelets were silver and black and her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. 

"Hey, buddy," Lily said slinging her black shoulder bag across her chest. 

"Hey," Ephram responded walking with Lily towards the sidewalk.

"I can't wait to get my license," Lily grumbled.

Ephram nodded his head in agreement.

"You'll probably get your license before me," Ephram told Lily.

"Yeah right. After what happened this summer I'll be lucky if my mom let's me even practice driving. I told her I practiced a lot already with my dad, but she doesn't accept that as practice."

Ephram groaned, "You didn't really tell her that did you?"

Lily shrugged, "It's the truth."

Lily changed the subject, "After last night there is something I really need to tell you."

Ephram raised his eyebrows curiously at Lily.

She continued, "I never got a chance to defend my room."

Ephram was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"My room in Denver was gray and my bread spread was red and black. I had all these different candles in my room. On dressers on shelves, everywhere. Some were big, some were small, and some were twisted with two different colors. And I lit them every night." Lily explained with a smile.

"So what the hell happened to your room here," Ephram asked.

"My mom happened," Lily sighed, "The walls were already that putrid yellow, but my mom bought me the bedspread and the curtains. She said it was a housewarming gift and I should leave my room like that for a month. And if I still hated it I could change it. She told me I am only allowed to have a few candles in my room. Said they make her nervous. I just haven't put them up yet."

Ephram nodded. "I didn't think that room was your doing. By the way, who are all those people in those photos?"

"Friends mostly." Lily looked at Ephram's questioning face. "Yeah I had friends in Denver."

"You've never mentioned them."

"I haven't mentioned a lot," Lily said honestly.

"That's true." Ephram nodded his head.

By then they had reached the school. They walked inside and Ephram turned to Lily. "Where's your locker?" 

"323 and yours?"

"218," Ephram said, "That's on the other side. I guess I'll see you in English. Bye" Ephram waved as he walked off.

Lily waved back and headed to her locker.

Lily was in English class staring at her poem. She had a copy of it in her notebook, so she could easily show Ephram. It's not like it was about her father or anything. She had no intention of letting Mr. Rodger's know that much of her life. Everything she wrote, especially her poems, were like journal entries. She was embarrassed that Mr. Rodgers would be reading her poem, but she knew she would get an A, so she figured it was worth it. 

Ephram walked in and took the seat behind her. Lily quickly flipped her notebook to the poem. She turned around and placed it on Ephram's desk. He look at the notebook and then at her. "Read only this poem and nothing else," she said sternly. Ephram nodded in agreement. Lily turned around quickly. 

Mr. Rodgers walked in and placed his belongings on the desk. "Turn in your poems." He said to the class and everyone passed them to the front. After he had collected all the poems he turned to the chalkboard and started lecturing. 

Once again Ephram was not listening. He looked at the notebook Lily had given him. 

_So I was right. She doesn't take notes in this thing, _Ephram thought still not reading the poem. He was kind of afraid to. She was so determined to not show him, he was scared it would reveal some horrible secret about her. He just wasn't sure he was ready for that. He looked up at Lily. She was sitting still except for her hands, which were fiddling with her bracelets. 

_She is probably so nervous, _thought Ephram.

Finally he turned his eyes to the poem and began reading.

**_Love Song for a Stranger_**

_What is this I feel?_

_Like I am floating.___

_All I feel is you,_

_Your beauty, your scent_

_Are running through my veins.___

_Your voice in my ears, _

_Your smile on my mind,_

_Your lips so soft_

_Longing to be kissed.___

_Your warm body_

_Pressed against mine_

_Holding me to you_

_As I let myself_

_Melt into your arms._

_I imagine how it feels_

_To be so close_

_That I feel your warmth,_

_Hear your heat beat,_

_And tingle when your breath_

_Tickles my neck.___

_To be able to look _

_Into your amazing eyes_

_So full of joy_

_As pure as_

_My love for you.___

_So long I thought of you._

_Prayed I'd see you._

_And now that I have_

_I feel it all again._

_The butterflies in my stomach_

_When I look at you.___

_The blush in my cheeks_

_When our eyes meet.___

_The racing of my heart_

_When you talk to me.___

_Though we may never_

_End up together_

_I will never regret_

_Knowing and loving you_

_With such an intense passion_

_Deep inside my heart.___

Ephram kept staring at the poem even after he had finished. 

_That was amazing. Who could she have loved so much to write this poem for. He must have been special, _Ephram thought. He looked up at Lily and she was still staring straight ahead. He decided he would wait until after class to return her notebook.

As soon as the bell rang Lily turned around and faced Ephram. She looked so tense. Ephram handed her the notebook. "That was amazing." Ephram said sincerely.

Lily sighed with relief. "So it didn't like freak you out or anything?"

"Nope, though it did make me blush, but it seems you have that effect on me daily."

Lily smiled, "Let's eat outside today."

Ephram agreed and they got up and left the classroom.

Lily and Ephram ate their lunch in a comfortable silence, enjoying the quiet. They were sitting side by side under their usual tree. After they finished eating Ephram turned to Lily. "Who was that poem for?"

"No one."

"But it's about falling in love?" Ephram probed.

"I have never been in love. It is about what I think it would be like."

"You've never been in love?" Ephram found that hard to believe, considering how much she claimed to like guys.

"I'm only 16. I have many years ahead of me to fall in love. I take it your in love with Amy right?" Lily said mockingly.

"I used to think I was, but I am not so sure anymore."

"Why's that?" Lily asked in a nicer tone.

"I just don't feel for her the way I did last year. And I think if you fall in love it doesn't go away. Don't get me wrong I still like her and she's cute as hell, but…" Ephram trailed off.

"I think when you first like someone it always feels like love. I believe it is the hormones. Maybe love is the reverse. Maybe you know you love someone when you feel like you don't love them in the beginning."

Ephram thought about that for a moment. "I guess I have never been in love either. At least not the kind of love you wrote about in your poem. "

All of a sudden Lily smiled at Ephram. "So which parts made you blush?"

Ephram's cheeks started turning pink as soon as she asked that. "You know, after a while I won't embarrass as easily."

"I know, that's why I have to take advantage of it now." Lily's smile got bigger as she waited for Ephram's answer.

"There were many parts actually. Let's see…" he rubbed his forehead "All that talk about bodies being pressed together. That was a little unsettling." All of a sudden Ephram burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"What the hell is so funny" Lily asked annoyed.

Ephram regained his composer. "Do you realize that while Mr. Rodgers is reading your poem he is going to be picturing 'warm bodies pressed against each other'?" He said the last part in a fake whispery voice. He continued chuckling.

Lily put her hand over her mouth. "That…is…truly…disgusting." She said very slowly. "Well as long as he isn't picturing me, then I guess I am ok." She said in a more chipper tone.

"I was picturing you." Ephram said an amused expression still on his face.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Whatever Ephram."

"You don't believe me," Ephram challenged.

"I just don't wanna think about it," she responded lightly.

The bell rang and Lily groaned. "Back to class, ugh."

With that said they got up and walked inside.


	9. Another School Day

*A/N I just wanted to give some background to my story. The story starts in Sept. of  Ephram's Junior year. I am assuming Colin gets better and continues dating Amy. I had originally intended to have Amy, Colin, and Bright in the story more, but it has worked out better that they are not. I will have them in it occasionally, but if you would like to have them in the story more let me know. I will try to incorporate Amy in the most, since I know she is a vital character.

"What can I get you?" Lily asked her pen poised and ready to write down the man's order.

"Um…I'm not sure what do you recommend?" the older man asked scratching his nearly bald head.

Lily was getting tired of customers asking what she recommended. She had never eaten at this place and besides shouldn't they know what they feel like eating. It was only 6:30 and already Lily was annoyed by all the indecisive customers. Plus the tipping was pathetic. 

"What do you feel like eating?" she asked with a fake smile. 

"I think I will just take a cup of your noodle soup and a glass of water."

Lily wrote his order down. "That will be done shortly." She assured the man and walked off to give the order to the kitchen.

_He's gonna be a big tipper! _She thought sarcastically.

She handed the order to the cook and then filled up a glass with water. After she handed it to the man, she heard her name being called. She looked up and saw Ephram waving at her. He was standing with Dr. Brown, Delia, Nina, Sam and of course Mrs. Anders. A smile of relief flooded Lily's face. At least part of her day wouldn't suck. Just then the kitchen bell rang and the cook yelled, "Order up, table 7."

Lily went to get the soup. 

Nina led the way to a corner booth. "This is one of Lily's tables," she said knowing they all wanted Lily to be their waitress.

Lily handed the man his soup and gave him his check. "Enjoy your meal." She said with a smile. The man smiled back and then began eating. Lily wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to the corner booth. 

"Looks like you made this an event." She said looking around the table at everyone.

"I'm just so proud of you," Lily's mom gushed.

"Mom," Lily hissed. 

Everyone chuckled.  "We just all had a huge urge to eat at the diner today," Ephram joked.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Yeah Right." She took her pad and pen from her apron. "So what can I get you, and how many tickets will you need?"

Dr. Brown spoke up quickly, "Just one." Nina and Beth were about to protest when Dr. Brown looked over at them, "This is my treat. End of discussion."

Lily smiled, "But you know everyone over the age of 13 has to tip me separately," she winked at Delia, which made her giggle.

"That's ageism," Dr. Brown teased.

Everyone chuckled. 

It was 9:06 and Lily had just clocked out. She took her tips out of her apron and stuffed them in her pocket and then took her apron off. She rolled it up and headed to the door. She didn't know how Nina did it everyday. She had only worked 4 hours and her feet were killing her. As soon as she walked outside she saw her mom's car pull up. She was so ready to sit down. She got in the car and sighed deeply.

"Hi sweetie. How was work?" Mrs. Anders asked her daughter.

"Exhausting." Lily responded leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

"I despise walking now and standing. I loath them both," Lily complained to Ephram as they walked to school.

Ephram laughed a little. "So how did you do in tips?"

"Not counting the $20 tip I got from your family, Nina and my mom?" Lily asked Ephram.

"Yeah."

"I made $12."

Ephram raised his eyebrows. "That's not much."

"Yeah. I was nice too. It must be my hair," she said pulling at a maroon streak.

"Knowing the people in Everwood, you're probably right," Ephram agreed.

"By the way, you looked pretty good in those jeans you wore last night." Ephram teased.

Lily pinched the legs of her navy blue Dickies. "So what, you don't like my usual pants?"

"No they're cool. But as a male it is my duty to appreciate a girl in tight jeans."

Lily pushed him off the sidewalk. "I don't see you wearing tight jeans you sexist pig." Lily joked.

"Gross. Guys in tight pants. That's just nasty Lily." Ephram said getting back on the sidewalk.

"Whatever." Lily said ending the friendly banter in her usual way.

Ephram was at his locker when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Amy.

"Hey," he said greeting her.

"Hi," she responded. "We haven't talked since the party and I just wanted to know what you thought of it." 

"It turned out well. My dad really appreciated it." Ephram answered shutting his locker.

"Well we all appreciated his help." Amy cleared her throat, "I noticed you left early. Did you have somewhere else you needed to be?"

Ephram was shocked by the question. Actually it felt more like an accusation. He was silent not knowing how to respond.

"Don't worry I get it," Amy said obviously offended. Then she turned around and walked off. Ephram stood there stunned. 

_What and the hell was that? And what does she get? _Ephram thought confused by Amy's confrontation. Ephram shook his head and headed to class.

"Overall the class did well," Mr. Rodgers said passing back the graded poems. Lily had already gotten hers back and just like she thought, she had made an A. They were both anxiously waiting for Ephram to get his poem back. Finally Mr. Rodgers placed Ephram's poem on his desk face down. Lily turned around quickly. "So?" she whispered "What did you get?"

Ephram turned the poem over and there in red was a B. "Good job." Lily said pleased. Ephram smiled back. 

After Mr. Rodgers had passed the poems back he went to the front of the classroom and leaned against his desk. "There was one very common theme with your poems, rhyming. Which is fine, but not necessary. I told you; don't be afraid to not rhyme. I believe only one student had a poem which did not rhyme. And that student did a fine job and received a well deserved A."

Lily sank down in her seat.

_Please don't say my name. Please don't say my name. _She said over and over in her head. 

To her relief Mr. Rodgers kept her name a secret and continued with his lecture from the previous class. 

Lily and Ephram had finished eating and were walking out of the lunch room. They had planned on eating outside under their usual tree, but to their disappointment there was a couple making out under it. Lily suggested they go sit in the library, instead of staying in the lunch room.  

"Did you know all through lunch that Amy chick was totally glaring at you?" Lily asked Ephram.

"Yeah. She's mad cuz I left the party early."

"That's dumb. The party was for your dad not you and it's not like she came over and talked to us or anything."

"I know," Ephram sighed "When she came up to me this morning she even asked me why I left."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing. I just stood there and said nothing. What was I gonna say, 'Sorry Amy but your party bored me to tears.' That would have gone over worse." Ephram replied shaking his head, "And get this, before she walked away she said, and I quote, 'don't worry I get it.' I don't know what in the hell she meant by that."

"Weird," Lily said lowering her voice as they entered the library.

They found an unoccupied table and sat down across from each other. Lily pulled a small orange sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to Ephram. It was a flyer for a party on Friday night. 

"Where'd you get this?" Ephram asked.

Lily shrugged, "Some cute guy came up to me at my locker and just handed it to me. I'm gonna go and you need to go with me."

"No way. The last time I went to a party I ended up getting escorted home by the cops."

Lily's eyes lit up, "Awesome. I bet your dad flipped out."

"Uh yeah," Ephram said in a sarcastic tone.

"But seriously Ephram you have to go with me. My mom will definitely let me go if she knows you'll be there. She like trusts you and shit."

Ephram frowned.

"Please," Lily pouted. "Come on it'll be fun. And we can do whatever you want to do on Saturday."

Ephram thought about that for a moment. "Okay, I'll go."

Lily's face lit up. "You won't regret this Ephram."

Ephram groaned, "I hope not."


	10. The Party

Ephram was sitting at his kitchen table eating left over pizza. His dad was still at work and Delia was spending the night with a friend from school. In less than an hour he was going to meet Lily at her house so they could go to the party together. He still couldn't believe his dad let him go. The one time he would have liked for his dad to tell him no, he says yes, go figure. Ephram thought about Amy and wondered if this was the type of party she would go to. She hadn't spoken to him since Tuesday. He still didn't understand why she had gotten so upset over such a little thing. Lily was right; Amy hadn't even acknowledged their presence anyway. 

The sound of the phone ringing broke Ephram's thoughts. He got up from the table and answered the phone. "Hello"

"Hey Ephram, its Lily," came the familiar voice.

"What's up?" asked Ephram.

"What are you wearing tonight?"

"What kind of a question is that? Why does it matter?" Ephram asked curiously.

"I want you to look good that's all. There's gonna be single girls there."

Ephram groaned, "So now you want to set me up?"

"Just dress cool okay. I have to be seen with you."

"Fine. But if I take the time to dress nice, I better get noticed." Ephram joked.

"Don't worry you will. See you in a few. Bye."

"Bye," Ephram hung up the phone. 

_Great, now I have to change, _he thought.

Lily looked at herself in her full length mirror. She smiled at her reflection pleased with the outfit she chose. She was wearing a long sleeved black fishnet top with a red spaghetti strap shirt underneath. Her short skirt was red and black plaid and she had black fishnet stockings underneath. She chose her black knee-high lace up boots to complete the outfit. Her hair was down and she had her black and red bracelets on her wrists. Downstairs she heard the doorbell ring. She rushed out of her room. Her mom had just answered the door when Lily flew down the stairs and out the door. "Bye mom," she yelled grabbing Ephram's hand and hurrying down the porch.  

Once they had passed her house Lily let go of Ephram's hand and slowed down. "Good timing," she said turning to Ephram.

"I know I'm not late so what was the damn hurry." Ephram asked confused.

Lily stopped walking. "Look at me Ephram." Ephram turned around curious as to why she stopped. 

He took a good look at her and smiled. "Yeah. You look hot. So?" Ephram blushed at his comment, not believing he had said that out loud. Luckily it was getting dark, so Lily didn't notice.

Lily started walking again. "Do you really think my mom would let me go out of the house like this?"

"Oh I get it now." Ephram nodded in understanding.

"So you think I look hot?" Lily asked Ephram.

"You know you do." Ephram responded, "You should wear skirts more often. Makes you look more like a girl."

"Shut up," Lily said punching Ephram in the arm.

"Hey" Ephram protested. "I complimented you."

"Yeah at first." Lily said. "But I'm gonna pretend you didn't say anything insulting."

"I didn't" Ephram objected.

She turned to look at Ephram. "You know I haven't gotten the chance to tell you how you look."

Ephram was wearing a black long-sleeved button up shirt with the top couple of buttons undone and a pair of dark blue jeans. He didn't have a whole lot to work with, but he was able to put something decent together and he was pretty proud of himself.

Ephram raised his eyebrows. "So what is your verdict?" 

"You look good. Very suave." She replied nodding her head in approval. "You should dress better more often. Makes you look like you care." She said getting him back for his earlier comment.

"Well I don't care."

Lily sighed, "I know."

They could hear the music as soon as they started walking up to the house. Ephram grabbed Lily's arm, "It's not too late to go home," he pleaded.

"Why do you hate parties so much?" Lily turned to him.

"I don't fit in."

Lily put her hands on Ephram's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Trust me, you'll fit in tonight." Then she turned around and headed into the house. Ephram sighed and followed her.

"Come on let's get a drink," Lily grabbed Ephram's hand so she wouldn't lose him in the crowd and headed to the kitchen.

The kitchen was even more crowded then the living room. "Hey" Lily yelled at some guys standing next to a cooler. They turned to Lily and smiled. "Do you need something?" asked a guy with long blond hair.

Lily smiled, "My friend and I need something to drink." Lily made sure to emphasis the word friend.

"Ok" the blond guy said, "But you gotta come and get it by yourself."

Ephram kept his eyes on the guys as Lily walked over to them. He could see them talking but couldn't hear what they were saying. After a couple minutes Lily walked up to Ephram and handed him a beer. "Just sip it slowly and you won't get drunk," she said noticing he was about to protest. Ephram took the beer reluctantly. Lily waved to the guys and led Ephram back to the living room. They stood by a wall and Lily sipped her beer. Ephram caught her scanning the room. "Are you looking for the guy that gave you the flyer?" he asked.

"Maybe." Lily said nonchalantly. "I bet you're wondering if Amy's here."

"Yeah so?"

"You need to move on. Look at all the hot girls here." Lily said making a sweeping motion with her hand.

"I have moved on. I just would like to be her friend again." Ephram retorted.

Lily cleared her throat. "Looks like me have company." She told Ephram.

Ephram looked up and saw two guys and a girl approaching them. One of the guys was tall with short spiky black hair with blue tips. He had on a black pair of cut off Dickies and a black t-shirt with the Independent logo on it. The other guy was shorter with a bald head. He was wearing a black Metallica t-shirt and jeans. The girl was a little shorter than the bald guy and she had blond curly hair that she was wearing in two braids. She had on a short black spaghetti dress and a pair of black mary-jane shoes.

"Hello again," the tall guy said walking over to Lily. Ephram guessed that was the guy she had been looking for. Lily smiled "Hi" she responded. 

"I never got your name." He said still smiling at Lily. "I'm Lily and this is my friend Ephram," she said once again emphasizing the word friend. The guy nodded at Ephram then turned back to Lily. "I'm Elijah and these are my friends Todd and April." He said never taking his gaze off Lily.

Todd nodded and April said hi.

"So all of you go to the high school" Ephram asked them.

"Yeah," Elijah replied turning to Ephram, "I've seen you before. Mostly with that Annie chick."

"You mean Amy?" Ephram corrected him.

Elijah had already turned back to Lily, "Yeah whatever." He shrugged.

Ephram looked at Lily who hadn't stopped looking at Elijah.

Elijah took Lily's hand, "Let's go outside yeah?" Lily nodded and turned to Ephram. "You'll be ok, right?"

Ephram nodded, not wanting to look like a loser in front of these people. Ephram watched them walk off. He turned to Todd and April. Todd looked like he was about to pass out. "Is he ok?" Ephram asked April.

"Yeah he's just kinda out of it." April explained. 

Ephram nodded. 

"Wanna dance?" April asked Ephram.

"I'm not much of a dancer." Ephram answered.

"Oh" April said disappointed.

They stood there for a moment in an awkward silence. Ephram kept himself busy by sipping his beer. 

Finally April spoke, "So do you like it in Everwood?"

"Yeah it's growing on me," He told her.

It had been almost an hour and Lily hadn't returned yet. Ephram was starting to wonder if she was ever going to return. April and him had been able to keep talking for the majority of the time. She seemed nice but he felt weird having been stuck with her. Finally Lily and Elijah came walking into the living room. They were talking and laughing as they approached Ephram, April, and a sleeping Todd. 

"Is he ok?" Lily asked pointing to Todd who was lying against the wall.

"Yeah he's just asleep," April answered.

"Okay," Lily said raising her eyebrows. Then she turned to April "April do you wanna dance?"

April was a little shocked and Lily noticed. "It's not like these losers are gonna dance with us." She said nodding toward Ephram and Elijah.

"That's true," April agreed.

"Go ahead," Elijah encouraged, "Fell free to get freaky."

Ephram couldn't help but laugh at his comment. Both girls turned and glared at them. "Same goes for you." Lily fired back, then she grabbed April's hand and they walked to the middle of the living room. 

"She's a feisty one isn't she," Elijah asked referring to Lily.

Ephram frowned, "I wouldn't know."

"So what do you think of Ephram," Lily asked April as they danced.

"He's so cute," she gushed. "I've wanted to get to know him since he first came here, but he was with that one girl so much I figured they had a thing going."

"Well you should definitely go for him now. He could benefit from some womanly attention." Lily said matter of factly.

April giggled and looked over at Ephram. "I can sure handle that."

Lily looked over at Ephram too and saw him and Elijah standing together, but not talking.

_Uh-oh, I bet Ephram is not having fun right now. And I promised him some fun, _She sighed. "I think I need some alone time with my friend," Lily told April. April nodded and they stopped dancing. 

Relief flooded over Ephram as he saw Lily and April heading towards them. He was tired of being alone with Elijah. The way he watched Lily creeped him out.

Lily smiled walking over to Ephram, "Let's get some fresh air."

Elijah looked at Lily with a confused expression. Lily ignored him and motioned for Ephram to follow her. Ephram didn't hesitate.

Once they got on the front porch Ephram sighed enjoying the cool air. Lily walked over to the rail and leaned against it and Ephram followed standing beside her.

"You're not having fun are you?" Lily asked.

"Sort of."

"What do you think of April?" Lily looked up at Ephram.

"She's cool and kinda pretty."

Lily smiled, "She likes you Ephram Brown."

"Really? Why? We barely talked."

"She noticed you when you first moved here, but she assumed you and Amy were together."

"I swear I have never noticed any of them," Ephram confessed.

Lily laughed, "I don't think they come to school much."

Ephram laughed too, "You're probably right. So you're into Elijah?"

Lily shrugged. "It's not important. That's not why we came out here. I want you to have fun, so tell me how I can make this party more fun for you."

"It's not you. When you're with me, it is fun. I am just not into parties."

"Ok so I will hang with you the rest of the night."

"What about Elijah?" Ephram asked.

"What about him?" Lily responded not concerned, "You're my friend he's just some guy I kissed."

"You kissed him?" Ephram asked a little surprised.

"Yeah what did you think we were doing? Talking?" Lily asked laughing.

"Yeah."

Lily shook her head. "Elijah is not the type of guy you have a conversation with."

"But I am right?"

"Yep," Lily said patting his shoulder. "But you could change that easily if you really wanted to. But guys like Elijah will never be the guy you go talk to."

"So now what do you do with Elijah? I'm just curious as to how you do things."

"I dunno. I might date him a little or I might never see him again. It just depends on how things go." Lily answered. "You know…he has a tongue ring." 

Ephram groaned, "I don't want to know that."

"Maybe you should think about getting one. It would look good on you." Lily told Ephram. "So what are our plans for tomorrow?" Lily asked changing the subject.

"I'm not telling you. But you need to dress up and I'll pick you up at 6:30."

"Dress up like…?" Lily asked.

"Like you are going to see a play." Ephram explained.

"Ok." Lily agreed still confused. "So you ready to go back inside?"

Ephram shrugged, "If we have to." 


	11. The Recital

It was Saturday evening and Lily was sitting in Dr. Brown's car. She was surprised when Dr. Brown and Delia were the ones to greet her at the door. But Dr. Brown explained that they were going to Ephram's piano recital and Ephram had to be there early. Lily had chosen to wear her white halter dress with the small blue flowers on it. The dress fell right above her knees and she had her brown dressy sandals on. She had pulled her hair up in a tight bun trying to hide her maroon streaks. She felt weird, having not worn that dress in months, but she knew she owed it to Ephram for dragging him to that party last night. 

Once they got inside the theatre, Dr. Brown led them to seats in the front. Dr. Brown leaned across Delia, who was sitting in the middle, and whispered to Lily, "Ephram will be last, since he is the best."

Delia smiled obviously proud of her brother, "Yeah he is so much better then the other people."

Lily smiled at her, "Well then I am glad he invited me."

"Me too," Delia said.

After about an hour of listening to people play the piano, Lily was starting to get a headache. She leaned over to Delia, "When does Ephram come on?"

"He's next," She answered.

Lily sat back in her chair trying to will her headache to go away. She didn't want it to get in the way of listening to Ephram play. 

Finally the person playing finished and Ephram took their place. He didn't even turn to the audience he just walked up to the piano, sat down, and started playing. Lily listened to the notes, they were so beautiful. Her headache was gone, as if Ephram's playing had healed it. Lily smiled to herself. She watched Ephram play and thought how at ease he looked up there. He definitely was the best and she was truly glad she got to hear him play. She remembered when she let him read her poem and this moment felt just like that; like he was opening his soul up to her. She knew it sounded silly, but that's what it felt like. 

Ephram finished and the audience gave him a standing ovation. He looked up from the piano as if the clapping had brought him out of a trance. He looked over at the audience and smiled. 

"You were fantastic." Lily told Ephram. After the recital Dr. Brown had taken them all out to dinner. 

"Thanks." Ephram smiled.

"I wish you would have told me where I was going, I could have brought you flowers or something," Lily said pointing to the roses that Ephram's family had given him.

"It's ok. It was nice just having you there." Ephram reassured her.

"I told you he was the best," Delia beamed.

"And you were right," Lily agreed looking up at Ephram with a smile.

After dinner Lily went back with the Brown's to their house. She had known Ephram for over a week and she still hadn't seen his room. She walked in before Ephram and looked around. "Yep this is definitely your room." Lily told him. She smoothed her dress and lay down on the bed carefully. She put her hands behind her head and smiled. Ephram sat at his desk watching her curiously. "Make yourself at home," he teased.

"Thanks," she replied.

"By the way you look very different from yesterday" Ephram said pointing out the obvious.

"No shit Sherlock." She joked, "You told me to dress like I was going to a play. So I dusted this dress off and squeezed into it."

"It's been that long since you've worn it."

"Nah I'm just teasin'. I wore it a few months ago. In early May I think."

"The summer really changed you didn't it?" Ephram asked knowing the answer.

"Yep. I mean look at those pictures on my walls. The way I looked, the way my friends looked, hell even the fact I had friends."

"What happened to your friends anyway? Do they write or call?" Ephram questioned.

Lily sighed. "I haven't spoken to them since I ran away with my dad. When I came back I had changed so much and my life had become so complicated. I couldn't bear to bring my friends down by trying to make them understand me. I mean, we had so much fun together, but after I came home…I wasn't fun anymore. I didn't care and I just kept to myself. It didn't help that I was grounded for like ever and I wasn't allowed to go anywhere. The date I had with that guy before I left was the first time I got to go anywhere without my mom."

"Wow. So Everwood was a complete fresh start. You are even a different person then you were in Denver."

"Yep. But I am glad we moved. My mom and I have always been so close. Not like friends even though we do a lot together. My mom always made sure she was a mom to me. She always told me I didn't need another friend I needed a mom. And I had always obeyed her except for the occasional mischievous act. But nothing major until summer. It put a serious dent in our relationship. She lost all trust in me, understandably so, but she also understood why I did it. And I've told her I'd do it again. I don't regret for a second getting to know my father. Since we have moved our relationship has improved, which I am thankful for. She's still having a hard time accepting who I am now, but she's trying."

"I know what you mean," Ephram said empathetically, "Hell I didn't even have a relationship with my dad until we moved here. And even then it took months for it to develop."

"Why didn't you have a relationship with your dad?" Lily asked.

"He was never home. He always had some patient to see or some conference to go to. I resented him for it and after my mom died I was very angry at him. But he realizes his mistakes and has been trying to make up for them."

Lily got up and sat on the edge of Ephram's bed. "Your family is so strong, you know. I mean all of you lost someone who was so important to you, yet you manage to keep living."

Ephram looked up and his eyes met Lily's. "You lost someone important too."

Lily bit her lip. "I know but it was different. He was only important to me. His death didn't affect my mom, the only reason she cried was for me. It hurt her that I was in pain. And she never talked about him, not even now. There are no sweet memories of what a great guy he was. All I have and all I'll ever have is one summer. And losing someone you've known for a couple months, even if it is your father, is totally different from losing your mom who you've known and lived with for 15 years. I can't even imagine losing my mom." 

Ephram looked away not wanting Lily to see the tears that were starting to spill out. But Lily noticed and she patted the space next to her. "Come sit by me." 

Ephram got up from his chair and sat down next to Lily. 

Lily took his hand in hers, "It's ok to cry."

Ephram sighed. "I don't like doing it in front of people, especially girls."

"I feel the same way," Lily said, "But I did it in front of you. Now we are even."

That made Ephram smile a little. They sat quietly, Lily still holding Ephram's hand, both of them thinking about the parent they had lost; just glad they could think about it together.


	12. Ephram And Amy

Lily and Ephram were walking to English class when they noticed Amy walking toward them. 

"Hey," Amy said smiling slightly at Lily and then turning her attention to Ephram, "I need to talk to you."

Lily patted Ephram's arm, "I'll see you in class," She said and Ephram nodded as she walked off.

Ephram turned back to Amy, "So now we're talking?"

Amy sighed, "That's what I wanna talk about. I'm sorry for getting so mad and for not talking to you last week."

"Apology accepted," Ephram said, "And I'm sorry that my leaving upset you. If I would have known…" Ephram trailed off not exactly sure what he would have done.

"Don't apologize. I should have talked to you at the party."

Ephram nodded, "That would have been nice."

"I wanna make it up to you. What are you doing tonight?"

Ephram shrugged, "Homework."

"Ok then tonight I will take you to the movies. My treat."

"That works," Ephram said smiling at Amy.

"I'll call you tonight and we'll pick a movie. See ya then." Amy smiled and then walked off.

Ephram slid into his desk right as the tardy bell rang. When Mr. Rodgers turned his back to the chalkboard Lily slid a folded piece of paper onto Ephram's desk. He opened it and read the question, '_what did amy have to say'_

Ephram wrote back '_she apologized for getting mad at me and is taking me to the movies tonight to make up for it_'

Lily wrote back, '_really?!  cool!!_

"It's not a date," Ephram told Lily. They were sitting at a table in the lunchroom arguing over Amy's motives for taking Ephram to the movies.

Lily continued arguing, "It's gonna be dark and you are going to be sitting right next to her. Who knows what could happen."

"Maybe I don't want anything to happen." Ephram retorted.

"Whatever Ephram," Lily replied, "You may not be in love with her, but you definitely like her as more than a friend. And you know you still think naughty thoughts about her."

"LILY!" Ephram said shocked.

Lily laughed, "Hell if I was a guy I'd think naughty thoughts about her too."

Ephram shook his head. 

Just then Elijah and April came up to their table. April sat down next to Ephram and Elijah sat down next to Lily. "What's up?" Elijah asked putting his arm around Lily's waist and kissing her neck. Ephram frowned at Elijah. 

"Not much," Lily smiled at Elijah.

"How are you Ephram," April asked turning to Ephram.

"Fine." Ephram muttered not looking at April.

Lily frowned and kicked Ephram under the table. 

"What?" he asked Lily.

"Be nice," she said.

Ephram turned to April, "How are you doing?" He asked pretending to be interested.

Apparently April believed him because she stared talking about her day. Ephram nodded occasionally, not really paying attention. He was too busy watching Elijah and Lily. Elijah kept whispering things in Lily's ear and she would laugh. Ephram wondered what could be so funny. He didn't like Elijah; there was just something about him he didn't trust. 

Finally Elijah stopped whispering in Lily's ear and he spoke up. "Let's go out tonight."

"I can't I'm working." Lily answered.

"Ok tomorrow," Elijah told her.

Lily shook her head, "I work Monday through Thursday."

"Ok we'll go out Friday night. There is this drive-in theater about 45 minutes from here."

Lily smiled, "That's a great idea. And we can double date with Ephram and April." Ephram and Elijah glanced at each other and frowned.

April smiled, "I like that idea."

"Then it's settled." Lily said before either guy could protest.

Ephram wiped his hands on his jeans. He didn't realize he had been sweating that much in the theater. It was really weird being there with Amy. He made a point to not touch her. He would wait until she had gotten her popcorn before he would get some, so their hand wouldn't touch in the popcorn bag. And he kept his left hand in his lap so it wouldn't touch her hand that was on the arm rest. He wasn't even able to enjoy the movie. He made a mental note that this was the last time he went to the movies with Amy, unless they were on an actual date.

After the movies they had both decided they were hungry so they were headed to Mama Joy's diner.

Once they got there Ephram saw Lily outside smoking a cigarette. "Hey" he said walking up to her.

"Hey," she responded after blowing the smoke away from Ephram and Amy. "How was the movie?"

"I liked it," Amy answered turning to Ephram, "Did you?"

Ephram nodded, "Yeah it was good." He lied.

"Well we better get inside," Amy said heading to the entrance. 

"If you're gonna tip big sit on the left side." Lily called after them.

Ephram smiled as he walked inside. 

"I didn't know she smoked," Amy said.

"Only when she's stressed," Ephram responded.

By the time they had finished eating it was a quarter to nine. Lily handed them their check.

"If you wanna hang around for 15 minutes, my mom can give you guys a ride home." Lily told them.

Ephram looked at Amy, not sure what she wanted to do. Amy nodded, "Ok. Thanks."

"No problem," Lily said and she hurried off to tend to her other customers.

Ephram looked at Amy and smiled, "That was cool of you to say yes."

"Well if she's your friend then she can't be that bad." Amy explained. "Is she just a friend?"

Ephram furrowed his brow, "Yes of course."

"Ok," Amy said wondering if he was telling the truth. Amy knew Lily was pretty and she noticed the way guys looked at her. She couldn't believe that Lily could have a guy as just a friend.

On the way home, Amy was pretty quiet. Lily's mom asked her a few questions, and Amy answered politely. Other than that she stayed quiet listening to Lily and Ephram argue about something that was happening on Friday.

"Ephram it's already settled. Besides my mom isn't going to let me go without you. Right mom?" Lily turned to her mom.

"Right. But you shouldn't force him to go if he doesn't want to." Mrs. Anders told her daughter.

Lily sighed. "Fine. I won't go. I'll never date again. I'll become a nun."

Mrs. Anders shook her head, "You are so dramatic."

"You can't become a nun. You're not catholic." Ephram mocked Lily.

Lily grumbled, "Whatever."

Mrs. Anders pulled up in font of Amy's house. Amy told everyone bye and then got out, wondering what Lily and Ephram were planning on doing on Friday.

As they pulled away from Amy's house Lily turned around and looked at Ephram, "So how was the movie?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Nothing happened. We're just friends."

Lily turned around, "Well there's always April."

"I don't like her that way. But I'll still go with you on Friday."

Lily smiled to herself, "Good."


	13. The Double Date

Ephram was lying awake in his bed Thursday night. A million thoughts were running through his head.

_I really wish Lily would stop trying to hook me up with April. She isn't my type. _

_At least I can keep an eye on Elijah tomorrow. I don't know why Lily even likes him. He's such a loser; he hasn't even been to school since Monday. Lily is too good for him. She's so pretty and funny and smart and honest and…she's my friend, just my friend. I just want what's good for her. _

_I wonder if she thinks I'm cute._

Ephram shook his head.

_I need to stop thinking about her like that. She's my friend. She has enough guys drooling over her and I am the only guy who actually likes her for more than her looks. I'm her only close friend right now. There's no way I am going to jeopardize our friendship. _

Ephram turned over, closed his eyes and proceeded to fall asleep.

"I'm so excited about tonight," April gushed at the lunch table. 

Lily nodded in agreement. "So where's Elijah? He hasn't been here since Monday."

April shrugged, "I dunno. We aren't that close. He was here this morning, he probably has lunch detention or something. So what are you gonna wear tonight." April asked Lily changing the subject.

"Who knows," Lily scowled. "My mom found out about the outfit I wore to the party. So she has to approve whatever I wear tonight."

"That sucks," April said sympathetically.

"Yeah I know. But my mom's weird. She wants me to fit in so badly, I might end up wearing a short blue jean skirt and a tight midriff top." Lily said laughing.

April grinned. "My parents don't care what I wear. I am definitely gonna look sexy." She said glancing at Ephram which made him blush a little.

Lily noticed Ephram blushing. "What would you suggest April wear? What do you think is sexy Ephram?"

"I object. Those questions are only meant to embarrass me further." Ephram protested.

"Come on," April whined. 

Lily looked at Ephram expectantly.

"I'm not answering." Ephram declared.

"Wuss," Lily mocked.

"What do you think is sexy for a girl to wear?" April asked Lily.

Ephram looked up from his lunch curiously.

"Anything can be sexy; as long as the girl thinks she looks sexy and carries herself that way. But more specifically, the color red. Red is passionate. I also think it is sexier to reveal your legs rather than your chest. What do you think April?" Lily asked.

"I agree with you," April said, "But I also think knee high boots are sexy, especially with a mini skirt."

Lily nodded, "What do you think Ephram?"

Ephram shook his head. "I'm still not talking."

"What do you think makes a guy sexy?" April asked Lily taking a drink of her coke.

Now Ephram was really listening, but he looked down at his food, pretending like he wasn't that interested.

"Do you mean clothes?" she asked.

April nodded yes.

"Well, first of all, a guy who looks like he took more than 2 minutes to get ready," Lily said making April laugh in agreement. Lily continued, "I like guys that wear clothes that aren't tight but they aren't falling off either. And when a guy wears a dressy button up shirt with jeans, that's sexy."

Ephram looked up at Lily and she winked at him. He smiled. 

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

They all got up and threw their lunches away. As they walked out of the cafeteria, they saw Elijah. He ran up to them. "We still on for tonight?" He asked Lily.

She nodded, "What time?"

"I will be there at 6. I'll call you before hand to get directions. See you tonight." He said kissing Lily on the lips. 

"I have to go to class. So I'll see you later," April said walking off with Elijah.

Lily turned to Ephram and frowned, "You know what I don't like about him."

Ephram gasped, "There's something you don't like about him?"

"Shut up." Lily punched Ephram in the arm. 

"What is it?" Ephram asked.

"The way he acts as if we're going out."

"You mean how he kisses you in public."

"Exactly. It's weird. I think tonight is gonna be our first and last date. He's just not my type." Lily said honestly.

Ephram smiled, "I could have told you that. Now if only you could get it in your head that April is not my type."

Lily sighed, "I've known that since the party, but she really likes you. I just wanted you to give her a chance. But after tonight I won't pressure you to see her again."

"We could cancel you know." Ephram told her.

"I know. But we mine as well go. We already said yes." Lily said.

They both sighed and then departed, each to their own classroom.

It was 5:12 and Ephram was sitting on Lily's bed. They had decided they'd wait at her place together. Lily was standing in her closet sifting through her clothes.

"How in the hell am I supposed to know what my mom will let me wear." She ran out of her room and yelled from the top of the stairs, "MOM COME UP HERE."

Her mom walked over to the stairs, "What do you need?"

"You need to help me pick my outfit. I dunno what you will let me wear." Lily whined.

Mrs. Anders walked up the stairs and followed her daughter into her room. They headed to the closet and this time Mrs. Anders sifted through Lily's clothes. 

"Aww, what about this?" Lily's mom asked holding up a pale pink knee length dress.

"That's my church dress; I have to wear it on Sunday. I don't have to wear a dress tonight." Lily informed her mom.

"Ok," Mrs. Anders said putting the dress back in the closet and looking through Lily's clothes again.

Lily went to her dresser and opened one of the drawers. She pulled out a pair of tan corduroys. "How about these and a nice shirt?" Lily asked her mom.

"Put them on. I don't remember how they look." Mrs. Anders replied.

"Well let's pick a shirt first." Lily said going back to her closet.

Mrs. Anders picked out a red sleeveless halter top. "What about this?" she asked her daughter.

"That'll work," Lily said taking the shirt from her mom. She headed to the bathroom to change.

A few minutes later Lily came back to her bedroom with the outfit on. Mrs. Anders smiled at her daughter. Lily didn't particularly like the outfit, but she had a feeling her mom did.

"You look so normal," Mrs. Anders teased. "Wear that." She patted Lily and headed downstairs.

"What do you think?" she asked Ephram.

He nodded. "You look different, but cute."

"Cute. Gross." Lily said wrinkling her nose. "Oh well, it's not like I'm trying to impress Elijah anyway."

Lily sat down on the floor next to her full length mirror and began putting her make up on. 

Ephram stretched himself out on Lily's bed. "Lily?"

"Yeah," she asked putting on her black eyeliner.

"Do you think I'm cute?" Ephram asked his hands behind his head.

Lily looked over at Ephram. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and jeans. Lily didn't see what was so special about that. She gave Ephram a questioning look. "You're dressed like usual."

"No I don't mean what I am wearing. I mean in general." Ephram explained. "I know I'm just your friend and you probably don't think about that kind of stuff. But before we became good friends, did you think I was cute?"

Lily nodded turning back to the mirror to finish her make-up. "Actually I didn't notice you really until we became friends. The first time I met you, I was annoyed by you. But after I started enjoying your company, I noticed you more." Lily paused putting on her strawberry flavored lip gloss. She got up and went to her dresser to get her brush. She continued talking as she brushed her hair. "And the more I get to know you, the cuter I think you are. You are like the nicest guy I've ever known. Seriously." Lily finished her hair and walked over to her bed. She pushed Ephram's legs aside and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

Ephram smiled, "Thanks."

Lily shrugged, "Just being honest. So what brought that question on?" Lily asked.

"Just curious."

"Well April thinks you're hot and so does Amy." Lily said raising her eyebrows.

Ephram shook his head. "You don't even talk to Amy."

"I see the way she looks at you, she's totally undressing you with her eyes." Lily nodded with a smirk.

"No wonder I was so cold in the movie theater." Ephram joked.

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes. 

At that moment they both heard the door bell ring downstairs. 

"That must be them," Lily said getting up from the bed. Ephram followed her and they headed to the front door. Mrs. Anders had already opened the door and invited April and Elijah in. Lily noticed her mom's face and knew she didn't approve of Elijah. She hugged her mom good-bye and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry I'm not going out with him again." Mrs. Anders hugged her daughter tighter and kissed her on the cheek. 

"Have fun," Mrs. Anders said smiling.

The ride to the theater was pretty uneventful. They talked about music, movies, school, and Lily found out the theater only shows old horror flicks. Tonight they were going to see Alfred Hitchcock's _Strangers on a Train. She had never seen or heard of it before, so she hoped it was good. _

Finally they arrived at the theater. Lily wasn't surprised when she saw how crowded it was. Once they found a parking spot Elijah turned on the speakers he had gotten at the entrance. 

He turned to Ephram and April. "Go get some popcorn and drinks, yeah." He handed April some money. 

Lily frowned at the way he asked them. "I'll help." She released her seatbelt, but Elijah stopped her.

"They can get it." He said putting his hand on her leg. 

Lily removed his hand, "We can all go." She said and proceeded to exit the car. Elijah sighed and got out of the car too. They all started walking to the small concession building. 

Lily leaned in and whispered to April as they walked, "I like your outfit." She complimented her. April was wearing a short black skirt, a white silk cami with black lace trim and black knee high boots.

"Thanks" April said with a smile. 

The movie had been on for a half hour and Lily was really getting into it. She periodically had to remove Elijah's hand from her leg, but other than that she was enjoying herself. Then out of nowhere Elijah leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. 

"I'm trying to watch the movie," Lily said pushing Elijah away.

Ephram frowned to himself in the backseat. He knew it was a matter of time before Elijah did something stupid. Luckily April hadn't tried anything with him. Her hand occasionally brushed his but that was the extent of it. He felt bad for her, she had dressed up and everything. He glanced at April, she was cute and nice, just not his type. 

Ephram heard Elijah groan loudly, so he turned his attention up front.

"I kept my mouth shut when you invited Ephram and April on our date and I think I deserve something in return." Elijah told Lily indignantly.

"If they hadn't come with us there would be no date. My mom wouldn't have let me come. I owe you NOTHING." Lily said raising her voice.

"Ohh. You're mommy wouldn't have let you." Elijah mocked.

Lily took a deep breath trying to control her temper. Elijah was starting to get on her nerves and she was so close to telling him off. 

_If he doesn't shut up…_ Lily thought.

Ephram and April sat in the back seat shocked at the things Elijah was saying. 

Elijah leaned in closer to Lily, "Come on they won't mind."

"What the hell's your problem?" Lily pushed Elijah away. "You make fun of me and then you think I'm gonna kiss you?"

"I don't want a kiss. You know exactly what I want. It's the same thing you want." 

"Really? You have an urge to kick yourself in the balls too." Lily shot back angrily.

"I'm gonna make it simple for you. How does the old saying go, oh yeah, put out or get out." Elijah said raising his voice.

"Fuck you," Lily said opening the car door and getting out. 

"You're such an asshole." Ephram told Elijah as he got out of the car. 

April sat there not sure what she was supposed to do. But before she could do anything, Elijah started the car and drove off.

Lily was walking quickly to the concession building. Ephram had to run to catch up with her. He put his arm around her waist, "Are you ok?" he asked noticing the tears streaming down her face.

Lily wiped her eyes. "Yeah I'm just very angry. Hey I'm gonna call my mom so she can come get us." Lily ran off to the payphone.

Ephram leaned against the building waiting for Lily to return. He couldn't believe Elijah. He had really wanted to punch him. Lily didn't need him too though, she had defended herself well. 

"My mom will be here in about 45 minutes," Lily said leaning against the building next to Ephram.

"What did she say?" Ephram asked.

"She was upset. But I told her you were here with me and that made her feel better." 

"I'm so sorry he did that to you." Ephram said empathetically.

"I know you are. I'm ok though."

Ephram turned and looked at Lily, "You really let him have it. That was cool." Ephram said with a grin.

Lily looked up at him and smiled, "I have a temper, what can I say."

Ephram laughed, "Yeah I remember it."

Lily laughed too. "At least it wasn't directed at you this time."

Ephram nodded in agreement.

Lily looked down and sighed, "Guys tend to assume I'm gonna have sex with them. I don't know why. Do I look easy or something?" Lily asked Ephram.

"Not at all," Ephram said honestly, "They're all just assholes. Besides you've never even done that before."

Lily looked up surprised, "Are you saying you think I'm a virgin?"

Ephram nodded, "I know you are."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Cuz you are waiting until you're in love." Ephram said confidently.

Lily smiled. "You're absolutely right, Ephram Brown. Is that what you're waiting for too?"

"Yeah," Ephram nodded.

"But you thought you were in love with Amy last year. Would you have done it with her if the opportunity had been there?"

Ephram thought for a minute. "I honestly don't know."

Lily sighed changing the subject. "I was really getting into the movie. We should rent it sometime."

"Yeah I liked it too."

Lily took Ephram's hand and laced her fingers between his. "You know Ephram, you're my best friend." She smiled looking up at him.

Ephram smiled back. "Ditto."

Lily leaned her head on Ephram's shoulder. And they stood there holding hands, waiting for Lily's mom.


	14. A Twist

Lily was flipping through the channels not really watching anything when she heard the doorbell. She got up and answered the door expecting to see Ephram, but instead she saw April. 

"I came to say I am so sorry about last night," April explained.

Lily opened the door and let April in. "It's not your fault."

"I know," April said, "But I'm sorry I left. He drove off so fast I didn't have a chance to get out. But after what he did there is no way I am gonna hang out with him ever again."

Lily smiled. "Do you want something to drink?" she asked leading April to the kitchen.

"Sure, whatever is fine."

Lily got out a coke and handed it to April. They sat down at the table. 

April took a drink of her coke, "I know Ephram doesn't like me. At least not the way I like him."

Lily grimaced, "I'm sorry April."

"It's ok. I'm not in love with him or anything. Have you and him ever tried dating?"

Lily laughed, "No. We're just friends."

"But he's so cute and funny. How could you not like him as more."

Lily shrugged, "Why ruin what we have? It's going well."

The doorbell rang and Lily got up from the table. "Be right back," she told April.

This time it was Ephram at the door.

"Hey," Lily greeted him opening the door. Ephram walked in just as April came out of the kitchen. 

"I came over to apologize," April explained seeing the surprised look on his face.

"Elijah's the one who should apologize," Ephram said.

"Yeah well, don't hold your breath," April told him. "By the way Ephram, I hope we can become friends. Since it's obvious that nothing more is gonna happen between us."

Ephram shoved his hands in his pockets, "Yeah, of course."

"Good," April smiled, "I'm gonna go now, I'll see you both on Monday."

Lily stopped April before she got to the door. "Why don't you stay and hang out with us?"

April shook her head, "I can't. My grandparents came into town this morning and so I have to hang out with my family. I just wanted to say I was sorry in person."

"Have fun," Lily said as April walked out the door. 

Lily turned to Ephram, "So what's up? What are our plans for today?"

Ephram shrugged, "I dunno. Is your mom home?"

"Nope," Lily said shaking her head, "She went to some co-workers house. Apparently some teachers are having a get together thing."

"I've never been here when she wasn't here. It's kinda strange."

"Tell me about it. She hasn't left me home alone in a long time, so I have no clue what to do. I was actually starting to miss her before April and you showed up. Isn't that weird?"

Ephram chuckled at Lily's comment. "So will your mom mind me being here alone with you."

"No, she really likes you. I think she even trusts you more than me! Especially after last night. After we got home she was all like, 'Ephram is such a sweet kid.' And she went on about how glad she was that we were friends, and blah, blah, blah.' Lily changed the subject, "Anyways, let's go to my room. I have a CD I want you to listen to."

Once they got to Lily's room, she went over to her stereo. "After we hear it, let me know what you think. They are a new band called Iron Clad. They are going to be playing in Denver in 2 weeks. I have been saving all my tip money so we can go." Lily pressed play and then sat down on her bed, leaning against the head board. Ephram sat down next to her.

"Why didn't you tell me before, about you saving up for us to go? I can help you pay."

"I'm doing good so far. If I need your help I'll let you know." She told him.

Ephram looked around Lily's room, "I see you put your candles up."

Lily snapped her fingers. "Great idea." 

Ephram looked at her confused, but she wasn't paying attention. She was already off the bed and had grabbed her lighter off her nightstand. She went around and lit all her candles. There weren't enough candles to produce much light, so Lily decided to keep the lights on as well. She liked having the candles lit anyway. She laid back down on the bed. "What do you think of the band so far?"

"I like them. They kinda sound like Simple Plan." Ephram answered nodding his head.

"Cool," Lily said, "So you'll go with me to Denver?"

"Yeah," Ephram answered. "Have you asked your mom yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for the right moment."

"You mean right before you walk out the door?" Ephram asked teasing her.

"No, I'll ask before that. She is starting to trust me more, so I wanna build up that trust as much as I can before I ask her." Lily explained.

Ephram agreed, "Good idea. Where are they going to be playing at?"

"This bar downtown."

"A bar you have to be 21 to get into?" Ephram asked curiously.

"Well yeah. But we can get in. I know the manager. He used to date my mom. He'll let me get in, he's cool like that."

"Aren't you a little apprehensive to return to Denver so soon?"

Lily smiled slightly, "Kinda, but I really want to see this band. Besides you'll be with me. That'll make it easier."

Lily sighed, "Denver and Everwood are so different, I can't imagine how it contrasts to New York? It must have been totally weird for you at first."

"It's still weird sometimes. But yeah it was a complete shock. Have you ever been to New York?"

"No, I've always wanted to go, though. You know go to Broadway especially. I bet you've been to Broadway." Lily said imagining what it must have been like to live in New York.

"Yeah a few times. The first time my mom took Delia and me to see The Phantom of the Opera. It was great. The play, the theatre, the actors. Everything was perfect." Ephram said nostalgically. "You know when I first saw you I thought how much you looked like the girls back home."

"Really? Was that before or after I told you off?"

"Way before," Ephram said laughing. "I noticed you walking in the hallway in between classes. The fact that you speak your mind only makes you resemble the girls in New York even more."

"Is that how come you wanted to be my friend? Cuz I reminded you of home?" 

"Yeah that was part of the reason." 

"What was the other part?" Lily asked.

Ephram looked down at his lap nervously, "Well…um…you're p-pretty." Ephram continued staring at his lap. He had complimented her before, but this time was different. He was alone with her and on her bed. The situation was just plain awkward for Ephram.

Apparently Lily felt it too, cuz she shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

Lily didn't know what to say to make it less weird. She was always so smooth before. She glanced over at Ephram wishing she knew what in the hell he was thinking right now. Ephram looked up and his eyes met Lily's. 

Just then Lily heard the front door open and close. "Lily? Are you home?" Mrs. Anders called.

Lily jumped off the bed and ran to the top of the stairs. "I'm in my room mom. Did you have fun?"

Mrs. Anders started up the stairs, "Yes it was delightful. What did you do all day?"

"April came over and apologized, then Ephram came over and we have been hanging out."

Ephram came out of Lily's room. "I better get home," Ephram said to Lily not providing a reason.

Lily nodded not asking why.

"I don't understand Colin," Amy said with tears running down her cheeks. "I thought we were doing well. I thought you were remembering things about us."

"I am," Colin said looking down at his feet not wanting to see Amy crying. "It's still not the same. I feel like a different person, yet I am dating a girl I used to love. But I only remember events, not the feelings attached. I need time apart from you. I need to regain those feelings on my own Amy."

"Why can't you just love me all over again?" Amy argued.

"It's complicated. Just give me some time. I've been trying since I woke up from my coma and it's still too weird. Just do this for me Amy. Give me this time apart. That's all I'm asking."

Amy nodded slightly. She threw her arms around Colin. He hugged her back then kissed the top of her head. 

Ephram was lying on his bed listening to his headphones and thinking about Lily. He knew why he had been uncomfortable, but why had she?

Ephram heard a knock on his door. "Come in" he said taking his headphones off.

He was surprised to see Amy walk through the door. He noticed her eyes were all red and swollen. Ephram jumped up from the bed. "What happened?"

"He broke up with me." Amy said meekly and then burst into tears. 

Ephram put his arms around her and she laid her head on his chest. Ephram held her until she had calmed down and stopped crying. He pulled away and sat her down on his bed. He sat down next to her.

"Why?" he asked.

Amy wiped her eyes and sniffled. "He said he needs time apart to figure out his feelings for me."

"Wow, I'm so sorry Amy," Ephram said putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Ephram, do you think we could hang out tomorrow. Like old times. I just don't feel like being alone."

"Sure," Ephram said nodding his head. "What ever you want to do."

Amy smiled slightly, "You are a good friend Ephram."

_I've been told that a lot lately, _Ephram said to himself thinking of Lily.


	15. Confused

*A/N I know this chapter isn't long, but another one is coming real soon. Please let me know what you think.

Ephram stood up and stretched. "I don't think I've sat still that long before, other then when I'm asleep."

"Yeah," Amy agreed.

They were in Ephram's living room and had just finished watching both _Lord of the Rings_ movies.

"Thanks for letting me come over. I feel a lot better." Amy said turning to Ephram.

"It's no big deal. You might find this hard to believe, but I like hanging out with you," Ephram teased.

"I know. But thanks anyway." 

"I don't know about you, but I need some fresh air. Wanna go sit on the porch with me." Ephram asked Amy.

Amy agreed and got up from the couch. 

Lily could barely concentrate on the soap opera. All she could think about was Ephram and how she needed to talk to him. She wanted to fix the awkwardness. As soon as the soap opera ended Lily jumped up from the couch.

"I'm gonna go see Ephram. I'll be back in a little while." Lily told her mom.

"Do you want a ride?" Mrs. Anders asked.

"No I'm fine." Lily said already at the front door.

"You know I had forgotten how much I enjoy being with you Ephram." Amy said sitting next to Ephram on the porch swing.

Ephram raised his eyebrows. "You mean as a friend, right?"

"Of course. I love Colin, but I miss you. I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I had chosen you."

"I just don't think we were meant to be. I could never make you as happy as Colin does."

"Did," Amy corrected him, "Before the accident. But he's different now."

"So he doesn't make you happy anymore?" Ephram asked.

"Not like he used to. But you haven't changed. The way I feel when I'm with you, that hasn't changed." Amy said leaning closer to Ephram. Her lips met his and she kissed him. 

Lily was walking up to Ephram's house. She still didn't know what she was gonna say. As she got closer to Ephram's porch she saw something that made her stop. Ephram and Amy were kissing, right there on his porch swing. 

Ephram pulled away still unaware of Lily. "Amy. We can't." Ephram turned away from her and that's when he saw Lily. She was just standing at the bottom of the porch with a look of shock on her face. Amy followed Ephram's gaze and saw Lily too.

Ephram got up from the swing and started walking to Lily. "Lily hey what-what are you doing here?"

"I just came to talk about…" Just then Amy ran down the porch.

"Please Lily don't tell anyone. If Colin found out…"

Lily glared at Amy. "How soon you forget I don't associate with your kind."

Amy was taken aback by Lily's harshness. "My kind, excuse me but…"

Lily put her hand up interrupting Amy, "Whatever, Amy."

Amy looked at Ephram, wondering why he wasn't defending her. "You should probably leave Amy," he said.

"Fine," Amy muttered and walked off.

Ephram turned to Lily and sighed, "Still wanna talk?"

"Uh, yeah," Lily said sarcastically.

Lily sat down on Ephram's desk chair. Ephram sat across from her on his bed.

"Why were you and Amy kissing?" Lily asked getting straight to the point, "I thought her and Colin were dating."

Ephram sighed and rubbed his hands on his jeans. "They were. He broke up with her last night and she came to me. We hung out today cuz she didn't want to be alone. Then out of nowhere she kissed me."

"So does she want to be with you?" Lily asked.

Ephram answered honestly. "I dunno. I never know what she wants." 

"What do you want Ephram?" Lily asked sincerely.

"I want to be Amy's friend. I can't deny that it felt good to kiss her. But I moved on. I realized we were just gonna be friends and I accepted it." Ephram explained.

"She can't keep toying with your feelings like that Ephram. It's not right. One minute she hates you, the next she's your best friend, and the next she wants to make out with you. You need to tell her what you want." Lily told Ephram.

"I know," Ephram said nodding. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Last night. That awkward moment. I wanted to make sure we were cool."

Ephram smiled, "Yeah we're cool. I think it was just the situation. You know a guy and a girl alone in a bed. That can make any conversation awkward."

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "So when are you gonna talk to Amy?"

"Not tonight," Ephram answered, "Maybe tomorrow."

Lily nodded and then got up, "Well I better go, I'll see you tomorrow Ephram."

"Yeah. See ya," Ephram said as Lily walked out the door.


	16. The Fight

"What's up with everyone's lockers?" Lily asked Ephram as they walked to English class together.

"The fall dance is this Saturday. The girls ask the guys by putting pinecones on their lockers."

"Odd," Lily said wrinkling her forehead, "Did you go last year?"

"No, but I did have someone put a pinecone on my locker." Ephram said remembering the joke Bright had played on him.

"Who put it there? Amy?"

"No, Bright. But he signed Amy's name and I made a fool of myself. I really thought she had asked me."

"Ouch," Lily said as they entered their classroom. They sat down and Lily turned to Ephram, "So you didn't go?"

"No."

"Would you have gone? If she had really asked you?" 

Ephram nodded, "Yeah. I mean, I'm not much of a dancer, but…I would have gone."

Just then Mr. Rodgers walked in the classroom and Lily turned back around.

"Mind if I join you?" Amy asked Ephram and Lily who were sitting by themselves in the lunchroom. 

"Sure," Ephram said and Amy proceeded to sit down next to him.

Lily picked up her lunch and decided to leave. She figured Ephram would want to talk to Amy alone. 

"See ya," she said as she left.

Amy frowned, "I don't think she likes me."

"She just wanted to give us time alone to talk. You know about last night."

Amy bit her lip, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just miss you and…" She trailed off noticing the angry look on Ephram's face.

"You can't just kiss me whenever you feel like it Amy," Ephram said raising his voice slightly. "I want…" He was interrupted by April who had just run up to their table.

"Where's Lily?" she asked sounding out of breath.

"I dunno. She left a few minutes ago. Why? What's wrong?" Ephram asked concerned.

April put her hands on the table and leaned in closer to Ephram. "It's Elijah. He's telling anyone who'll listen that he scored with Lily this weekend."

"What?" Ephram said jumping up from the table. He scanned the lunch room looking for Elijah. He didn't see him, so he started walking out of the lunch room. April assumed he was looking for Lily so she followed him. Amy sat there not knowing what to do. Ephram walked quickly down the hallway with April at his side. He spotted Elijah talking to a group of guys. They were all laughing.

Ephram stormed up to them. April, realizing what he was doing, ran after him, "Ephram stop." She called, but he wasn't listening. He walked up to Elijah and shoved him against the wall, "You asshole. You know damn well she didn't sleep with you."

Elijah put his hands up and laughed not taking Ephram seriously, "Whoa chill man."

"Not until you tell everyone the truth," Ephram yelled at Elijah still pinning him against the wall.

Elijah smirked. "I already did. I let them know she's one hot piece of ass."

Ephram was beyond pissed now. He punched Elijah in the face. Elijah punched him back and then they were fighting. 

April yelled Ephram's name, but he didn't hear her. The boys fell to the floor and rolled around still fighting. Ephram pinned Elijah to the floor and started punching him. 

Finally a couple of teachers noticed the fight and ran to the boys pulling them apart. Elijah's eye was already turning purple and his nose was gushing blood. Ephram's lip was bleeding and he had a bruise forming by his left eye, but other than that he was fine. The teachers hauled them off to the principal's office. 

April ran in the other direction searching for Lily. She looked everywhere and was unable to find her. She decided to just wait at Lily's locker. Sure enough, about 20 minutes later Lily walked up to her locker.

"April? Were you waiting for me?" Lily asked seeing April sitting cross-legged on the floor.

April got up quickly, "Yes. Ephram and Elijah got in a fight."

"What?!" Lily couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, its cuz Elijah was telling everyone he had sex with you. So Ephram went up to him and kicked his ass."

"Shit," Lily said leaning against the lockers. "Where is he now?"

"In the principal's office." April answered.

"Another fight Ephram," Dr. Brown said as they walked out of the school. "I thought we were beyond that."

Ephram had been suspended for the rest of the afternoon and the following day. Elijah was suspended for the rest of the afternoon and got detention for the rest of the week. 

"I already told you. He was saying he had slept with Lily and that wasn't true."

"I know, and what he did was wrong. But there are better ways to handle that kind of situation. When you get out in the real world you can't punch everyone that pisses you off. You'll end up in jail." Dr. Brown lectured.

"I know dad. But Elijah isn't the kind of guy you can calmly negotiate with."

"You know you're grounded. I don't know for how long but it starts immediately." 

Ephram nodded at his dad, "I figured as much."

Right after work Lily had her mom drop her off at Ephram's house. She had to see him. She rang the doorbell and waited nervously. Dr. Brown was probably very upset and she didn't even know if she would be able to see Ephram. Dr. Brown answered the door.

"Hello Dr. Brown," Lily said biting her lip. "I was wondering if I could see Ephram."

Dr. Brown nodded and opened the door. Lily walked in. Ephram saw her come in and got up from the couch, surprised his dad let her in.

"You have 10 minutes and you have to stay downstairs." Dr. Brown said sternly.

Ephram nodded and he and Lily walked into the kitchen. "So I take it you heard what I did?" Ephram asked as they sat down at the table.

Lily sighed and shook her head, "Yeah April told me." She saw the cut on Ephram's bottom lip. She touched it gently. "Is that all he did to you?"

"I also have a bruise by my eye," he said turning so she could see, "And some cuts on my knuckles." He showed her his hands.

"Ephram, I can fight my own battles."

"I know. But I wasn't fighting for you, I was fighting for all woman kind." Ephram joked.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Fighting isn't the answer. It never solves anything." Lily told Ephram.

"I know. But I really hate that jerk."

"So what did the principal do to you?" Lily asked.

"I got suspended today and tomorrow." Ephram answered.

"And what did your dad do?" 

"He grounded me, but he hasn't given me any specifics or a release date yet."

"Well I'm glad your dad let me talk to you tonight. I was worried about you."

"You were?" Ephram asked surprised.

"Yeah, of course." Lily responded leaning closer to Ephram. She touched his bottom lip gently with her fingers running them along the cut. "Thank you though. For standing up for me." Lily leaned in and kissed Ephram's bottom lip very lightly. Then she got up, "I'll see you at school on Wednesday."

"OK." Ephram said slowly still shocked that she had kissed him. 

"Bye Dr. Brown," Lily said as she walked out the door.

"Bye Lily," Dr Brown said walking into the kitchen. "I've decided on your punishment." Dr. Brown leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.

"What is it?" Ephram asked looking up at his dad.

"I heard you and Lily talking and I realized something. You know fighting isn't the answer. You knew that before you even hit Elijah. But you felt it was justified, considering what he was saying. If I ground you what am I teaching you? As a father I don't agree with you using your fists to solve a problem, but as a man I see that you were just defending an innocent girl's reputation. A girl whom you care very much for."

Ephram furrowed his brow, "What are you getting at?"

Dr Brown sat down across from Ephram. "I thought to myself, if you were defending someone else, for instance Delia, would I have grounded you then. And the answer is probably not, so why should it be any different now. You've learned your lesson, Ephram. You've been suspended and I think that's enough. But because you did get suspended you will stay grounded until Wednesday morning." Dr. Brown finished.

Ephram looked at his dad, impressed by his understanding. "Thanks dad. For you know…getting it…why I did it." 

Dr. Brown nodded and then smiled. "I saw her kiss you."

Ephram shook his head still not believing it, "Yeah. Totally surprised me."

"Was it a good surprise?" Dr. Brown inquired.

"Yeah a very good surprise," Ephram said. "But I don't know what it means. I mean it could have just been a friendly kiss."

Dr. Brown raised his eyebrows, "A friendly kiss? Is there such a thing as a friendly kiss on the lips?"

Ephram hesitated for a second. "I don't know." He said still thinking about it.

Dr. Brown patted his son on the shoulder and got up. "I'm gonna head to bed." He turned to his son at the bottom of the stairs, "Don't analyze it too much." 


	17. The Invitation

Lily was shutting her locker when she saw Amy walking toward her. She frowned not wanting to talk to her.

Amy noticed Lily's unhappy expression, "I was just wondering if you had seen Ephram. I heard what happened yesterday."

"Yeah I saw him. He'll be here tomorrow. Is that all?" Lily asked annoyed.

Amy continued ignoring the fact that Lily didn't want to talk to her, "Is he ok?"

"Like you care." Lily retorted.

"Of course I care. He's my friend too." Amy said getting angry.

"Is that so? Then how come you're so careless with his feelings?" Lily accused Amy.

"That's between me and Ephram." Amy snapped.

"Whatever," Lily said walking away leaving Amy standing there fuming.

When Ephram walked up to Lily's house she was already waiting for him outside. 

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hey," Ephram said, "My dad told me my punishment after you left Monday night."

"So what is it?" Lily asked as they walked to school.

"I was grounded until this morning." Ephram said grinning.

"Whatever," Lily said rolling her eyes, "What's your punishment really?"

"I swear that's my punishment."

"That's all? I don't get it?" Lily asked confused.

"He told me he understood I was defending you and he knows I learned my lesson, so I served my time." 

"That's awesome, Ephram. I thought I was gonna have to go through Ephram withdraw." She joked.

Ephram laughed. "So how was school yesterday? Did you see Elijah?"

"Um..no. But I saw Amy. She asked about you." Lily said cautiously, "Did you ever talk to her about the kiss?"

Ephram shook his head, "I was about to when April came and told me about Elijah. So what did you say to her?"

Lily cleared her throat, "Remember I told you I can fight my own battles?"

"Yeah," Ephram said not knowing where she was going with this.

"Well I didn't take my own advice. I kinda told her off, for toying with your feelings." Lily explained looking up at Ephram, "I'm sorry I couldn't help it."

"Don't worry I understand." Ephram said sincerely, "And I plan on talking to her today." Ephram wondered if Lily was going to bring up the kiss they had shared. He wanted to talk to her about it. He wanted to know what it meant. She was acting normal and he knew she would have brought it up had she wanted to talk about it. Oh well, at least he could get his talk with Amy out of the way and maybe find the courage to talk to Lily about their kiss.

As soon as Ephram got to his locker he saw Amy waiting for him. "How are you?" she asked noticing the bruise on his face and the cut on his lip.

"I'm fine," Ephram said opening his locker. He turned to Amy. "I was trying to tell you something Monday at lunch. And it's important that I finish it."

"Ok," Amy said.

"I liked you for a long time Amy and even when you got back with Colin, I hoped that you would leave him and chose me. But not anymore. I accepted that you two are together and I have moved on. And when you k..." Ephram stopped remembered he was at school and rephrased his words, "And after Sunday I was confused all over again. Ironically, it was only about your feelings this time. I wondered what you wanted from me. But it doesn't matter, cuz I know what I want from you. I want to be your friend, and only your friend. And if you want more, then we can't be friends. We have to want the same thing, and you can't act like we are more than friends." Ephram explained relieved that he had finally told her how he felt.

Amy looked disappointed but she nodded, "Ok."

Ephram got his books out just as the bell rang. "I've gotta get to class." He told Amy shutting his locker.

"Yeah. See ya," Amy said watching Ephram walk off down the hallway.

Ephram sat across from April at the lunch table. Lily had rushed off after class, saying she had something to take care of. He sat silently eating, deep in thought. April would glance up at him every once in a while, but she never spoke. He looked across the lunch room at Amy, who also sat quietly. She was with her usual posse, but she wasn't the bubbly talkative Amy she usually was. He knew she was going through a lot right now, and part of him wanted to be there for her. But he knew he couldn't. She had to figure things out for herself. 

"Hey," Lily said interrupting Ephram's thoughts. She sat down next to April. "You two look like a bundle of joy." She remarked sarcastically.

Ephram looked up and gave a weak smile. Lily frowned. "Did you talk to her?" she asked knowing he was thinking about Amy. 

"Yeah," he answered ignoring April's baffled expression. She had no clue what they were talking about. She sighed and continued eating, hoping they would move on to a conversation she could join in on.

"And you told her what you want right?" Lily asked before taking a bite of her pizza. She had forgotten her lunch again, but she was starting to get used to the cafeteria food. 

"Yeah, and she seemed to take it well. It's gonna be awhile before things become comfortable between us. I wish I could move the process along faster." Ephram said glancing once again at Amy.

"I know." Lily said sympathetically.

"I saw Elijah today," April interjected hoping to change the topic.

Lily raised her eyebrows, "Did he talk to you?"

"No, but he looked bad. You really kicked his ass." April said turning her attention to Ephram.

"Yeah well there's no point in doing a half-assed job." Ephram said lightly.

"Todd told me Elijah's gonna get sent to an alternative school that leans toward the military side of teaching." April informed them.

"Todd? The guy who passed out at the party? Is he a reliable source?" Lily asked.

April chuckled, "Yeah he's Elijah's cousin. He knows what he's saying."

"Good." Lily said relieved that Elijah would be gone. 

"You sure know how to pick em'" Ephram teased Lily.

"Hey I never claimed to have good taste in guys. I just said I liked them." Lily defended herself.

"You picked Ephram," April argued.

"Not really. He picked me, against my will I might add." Lily said with a smile remembering the first time she met Ephram.

"Well it's not against your will now," he said his eyes meeting Lily's. 

She cleared her throat a little and looked down at her tray, "No it's not," she replied more to herself.

Ephram was walking by himself to his locker after lunch. He usually walked with Lily, but she had hurried off in the other direction saying she had something to do. She was acting awfully suspicious today, but Ephram didn't question her, assuming she really had stuff to take care of. As Ephram approached his locker he noticed something white hanging off of it. As he got closer he saw it was a folded piece of paper. He hurried to his locker, his curiosity getting the better of him. On the outside of the note was a drawing of something brown. It resembled a log of some sort. Ephram took the taped note down and opened it up.

_Sorry, I couldn't find a pinecone on such short notice. I tried drawing one, but what can I say I'm a writer not an artist. Anyway, I am informally inviting you to go to the fall dance with me. I'll even wear a dress. _

_Lily_

Ephram smiled. Now her weird behavior made sense. She had wanted to surprise him. He looked up from his locker wondering if he would see her before school ended. And to his surprise he did see her. She was leaning against some lockers a few feet away. Her arms were crossed and she had a smile on her face. Ephram quickly got his book out of his locker and walked up to her.

"Yes, I'll go," he said smiling back at her.

"Cool," Lily said, "And don't worry it's not a date or anything. You can dance with whoever you want. Just as long as you make time for me."

"Ok," Ephram agreed hiding his disappointment that it wasn't a date. "And this was supposed to be a pinecone?" Ephram teased pointing to her drawing.

"Like you could do better," Lily replied defending her artwork.

They both looked down at her note and started laughing. They continued laughing as they walked together down the hallway.


	18. The Dream

Ephram had just gotten out of the shower and was heading to his room. He turned on the light and jumped when he saw Lily sitting on his bed. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I came to see you," she said smiling as she got up from the bed. She closed the door and leaned against it. That's when Ephram noticed she was still wearing the dress she had worn to the dance. It was a red silky spaghetti strap dress that hugged her in all the right places. He also noticed she was barefoot, which surprised him, especially if she had walked to his house. 

Lily walked over to Ephram. She ran her hand over his arm sending chills throughout his body. She looked up and her eyes met his. "Ever since I kissed you I haven't been able to get you out of my mind." She grabbed his shirt and pulled his lips down to hers. This was definitely not a friendly kiss. There was no mistaking her intentions with a kiss like this. Ephram wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her body tightly against his. He kissed her back willingly. After a few minutes Lily broke the kiss and ran her lips up Ephram's neck to his ear. "I want you," she whispered. Ephram's eyes widened. But before he could protest she pushed him onto the bed. His head was spinning. She got on top of him and continued kissing him. Her hands found the hem of his shirt. She lifted it off him and threw it on the floor. She ran her hands along his bare chest. Ephram got lost in her touch and succumbed to her. Letting her do whatever she wanted.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Ephram jolted up in his bed and turned to the annoying sound. Realizing it was his alarm clock he reached over and turned it off. Then he remembered Lily and he turned to look at her, but she wasn't there. That's when it hit him, it was just a dream. The dance wasn't until tomorrow night and Lily had not come over and thrown herself at him. Ephram laid back down on his bed smiling. He couldn't believe how vivid the dream had been. Damn he wished he could go back to sleep. 

As soon as Ephram saw Lily on her front porch he started feeling uncomfortable. 

"Hey Ephram," Lily said walking over to him.

He smiled slightly and shoved his hands in his pockets. They started walking to school and Ephram was very aware of how close she was. The dream had been so realistic he was unable to even look at her. He was too embarrassed.

"Are you ok Ephram? You look like your about to hurl?" Lily asked concerned.

Ephram responded without looking at her, "Yeah. It must have been something I ate for breakfast," He lied.

"What did you eat for breakfast?" Lily probed.

"Uh…cereal," Ephram stammered.

Lily frowned, "You're a horrible liar. If you don't want to tell me that's fine."

Ephram felt bad. He didn't want to lie to her. So he figured the next best thing was to only tell her some of the truth. "I had a weird dream that stirred me up a little." _That was an understatement, he thought to himself._

"Well if you wanna talk about it, I'm here," Lily offered.

"Thanks," Ephram mumbled knowing that wasn't gonna happen.

"We should eat outside today," Lily told Ephram as they headed out of their English class. "We haven't done that in a while."

"You mean by ourselves?" asked Ephram.

"Well duh." Lily said looking at Ephram as if he had just lost his mind.

"I would rather stay inside. I mean…I-I don't want to leave April alone." Ephram stuttered.

Lily shook her head, "You are acting really odd today. But whatever. We'll eat inside if that will make you happy."

"Hey Ephram," Amy said jogging towards them.

Her and Lily exchanged glares.

"Hey," Ephram said relieved for the interruption.

"I was wondering if you were going to the fall dance? I mean if anyone had asked you. Cuz of course I'm not going with Colin. And I thought we could go together…you know as friends." Amy said talking fast. She pretended not to see the look Lily was giving her. She didn't care what Lily thought. She had every right to ask Ephram to the dance if she wanted to.

Ephram shoved his hands in his pockets, "I'm going with Lily." he told Amy. 

"Oh," Amy said not even trying to mask the disappointment in her voice. 

"You should still go especially if Colin's going." Ephram told Amy as if that would make her feel better.

"Yeah he's going by himself so I will probably go too." Amy said.

"Besides Lily and I are just going as friends, so you and I can still dance together." Ephram informed Amy.

Amy smiled, "Ok. I'll see you later then," she said waving to Ephram as she left.

"You should come," Lily said to April. "So what if you don't have a date. A lot of people go solo."

April shook her head. "I have a party to go to Saturday night. I'd rather go there than to the school dance."

Lily sighed, "I bet that will be more fun. Oh well, my mom's all excited that I'm going to a school dance. She's taking me dress shopping after school."

"Promise me one thing," Ephram said to Lily.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"Don't get a red silk dress." He said remembering his dream. If she showed up in a dress like that he would be unable to look at her the entire night. 

"Why not?" asked Lily baffled by his statement.

"It has to do with my dream," he said not even attempting to lie to her.

"Was I in the dream wearing a dress like that?" asked Lily.

Ephram couldn't hide the blush that crept its way to his cheeks. He had set himself up for that question. All he could do was nod. That's when he saw a look of understanding come over Lily's face and her eyes widened. He looked away cursing himself for making it so obvious. Even April had picked up on it. She sat there trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence. 

"Elijah's leaving on Monday," she blurted out.

Ephram and Lily turned to her at the same time. 

"Yep today's his last day," she continued. "I think the new school will do him good." 

Lily nodded in agreement. "I sure hope so," she said. For now the awkwardness had been lifted but it had definitely not been forgotten.

Ephram was sitting on his porch swing enjoying the night air. He hadn't talked to Lily since lunch. Somehow they had been able to avoid each other. He felt bad, but it was just too weird. He didn't know how he was gonna be able to dance with her tomorrow night. He had known for a while now that he liked her as more than a friend, but he kept denying it. But after she kissed him and after his dream there was no way he could deny it anymore. And the fact that they were so close made it even harder to admit. He didn't want to lose her friendship. He couldn't imagine not having her in his life. On the other hand he wanted to pursue more. He had no idea how she felt and that only made the situation that much more complicated.

"Is this seat taken," a familiar voice asked jarring Ephram back to reality. He looked up and saw Lily.

"No," he gestured for her to sit next to him.

"I got my dress. Don't worry it isn't red or silky." Lily said turning to look at Ephram.

He stared at her not knowing how to respond.

"I'm sorry I avoided you after lunch," she sighed deeply, "It was just so damn awkward."

"Tell me about it," Ephram groaned.

"I came over to tell you that it's ok. I mean that you dreamed about me. I was just shocked at first. But it honestly doesn't bother me." She said sincerely.

"That's good to know," Ephram said leaning back in the swing.

"Hell I've dreamed about you before. It's natural though, considering how close we are. I mean we see each other all the time. You are usually the last person I think about before I fall asleep." Lily explained.

Ephram couldn't believe all she just told him. First of all she had dreamed about him. He couldn't believe it. It made him feel a hell of a lot better to know she had dreamed about him too.

"Was your dream, um…like mine." Ephram asked cautiously, hoping she understood what he was asking.

"Yes." Lily answered, "Does that surprise you?"

"Yeah. I've never had a girl tell me she's dreamed of me like that. It really boosts a guy's ego." Ephram said finally able to loosen up.

"I didn't say you were good. I just said I dreamed about you." Lily responded teasing Ephram.

"Ouch. Way to bust my bubble." 

Lily laughed, "I'm just kidding. Of course you were good. It was just a dream, completely not based on reality." 

"What's that supposed to mean," Ephram asked pretending to be angry.

"How can you be good at something you've never done. Your first time will invariable be awkward with a lot of accidents." Lily pointed out. "Especially if you are with someone as inexperienced as you. It's bound to be disastrous." 

"Great. Not only do you bruise my ego but you've made me fear the one thing I was looking forward to."

Lily patted Ephram's leg, "Just keep practicing in your dreams."

"Funny," Ephram said sarcastically. "You know you are in the same boat as me. So you should be careful what you say."

"Whatever," Lily scoffed in amusement, "The guy is the one that does all the work. The girl just lays there."

Ephram burst out laughing. He couldn't believe they were even having this conversation. "That wasn't the case in my dream. As a matter of fact you were the aggressive one."

"Really?" Lily said slightly shocked.

"Yep." Ephram smiled remembering his dream. He was so glad Lily had come over and brought up the topic. He hated having the awkwardness between them. "Why do you find it so hard to believe? You put the moves on Elijah."

"But that was different. It wasn't sex." Lily said pointing out the obvious.

"And you think you will be different then?" Ephram inquired.

"Yes cuz it will be with someone I'm in love with. There's more at stake, so I would be too afraid to be aggressive." Lily said biting her lip.

_More at stake?__ It was funny she should say that, _Ephram thought. _Maybe that's why she hasn't made any move toward becoming more than friends. She's probably just as scared as I am to lose what we already have._

Lily got up suddenly. "I better get home. I'll see you tomorrow ok."

Ephram nodded, "Yeah, tomorrow. Bye."

Lily smiled then started home.


	19. The Fall Dance

*A/N Sorry it has taken me a while to update. I have been busy. Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I am excited with how things are turning out. I hope you are enjoying reading the story as much as I am enjoying writing it.

Ephram stood with his arm around Lily's waist. They were in Lily's living room. Dr. Brown was going to take them to the dance, but right now he and Mrs. Anders were taking pictures of Ephram and Lily. 

"Ok enough already," Lily said putting up her hand. "I think you have enough pictures to fill up an album."

Ephram chuckled. 

Mrs. Anders hugged her daughter, "I am so glad you are going to the dance. You're going to have so much fun."

Lily groaned, "Ok we need to leave now." She grabbed Ephram's hand and they followed Dr. Brown and Delia out the door.

Delia looked up at Lily before they got in the car, "You look pretty."

Lily smiled, "Thank you."

Lily was wearing a black halter dress. It was multi-layered; the top layer was a sheer black fabric. The dress fit snug at the top and the bottom flowed loosely and hung just above her knees. She had on a pair of black strappy high heels that made her only 3 inches shorter than Ephram. 

Lily and Ephram climbed into the back seat and sat quietly. Ephram looked over at Lily, but she wasn't looking at him. He had smiled to himself when he first saw her. She looked so beautiful with her elegant dress and her hair pulled up. She almost didn't look like herself except that she had left several maroon strands of hair down and they fell loosely around her face. Only Lily would do something like that and it made her that much more attractive. He loved all the little things about her that made her Lily.

Lily knew Ephram was looking at her, she could feel his eyes on her. She didn't dare look at him, not yet. She didn't want him to see how nervous she was. She only hoped she would lose the nervousness before they got to the school. She didn't know why she was nervous. This was just a dance, and she was just going with Ephram. Sure he looked extra cute tonight with his burgundy dress shirt tucked into his black slacks, but that shouldn't make a difference. She had always found Ephram attractive, so why did it seem different now? She took one last deep breath as they pulled into the school. She was still nervous, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

Lily and Ephram walked into the school as Dr. Brown pulled away.

Ephram glanced at Lily as they walked to the auditorium, "I didn't get a chance to tell you, but you look great."

Lily smiled slightly without looking at Ephram, "Thanks. You too."

Ephram furrowed his brow wondering why she wouldn't look at him. By then they had reached the auditorium and they could hear the music through the doors.

As soon as Lily walked in she didn't feel as nervous. Maybe it was the music that calmed her, but she figured it had more to do with was the fact that they were now surrounded by lots of people. 

Lily sat down at the table. She and Ephram had been dancing non-stop for over an hour. He wasn't the best dancer, but he tried and she was having fun teaching him new moves. The first slow song had come on and Amy had asked Ephram to dance. Lily gave him up easily, seeing as how her feet were starting to throb. Plus she had told Ephram he could dance with whomever he wanted. 

"Would you like to dance?" said a male voice.

Lily looked up and saw Colin standing next to her. She hesitated, debating if her feet could take it. She figured they could so she nodded. Colin took her hand and led her to the dance floor. It was kinda weird dancing a slow song with a guy she didn't know, especially since it was Amy's ex-boyfriend. Lily didn't even look to see if Amy was watching, but she figured she was. 

"So are you and Ephram, you know, going out?" Colin asked breaking the silence between them.

"Uh…no" Lily answered caught off guard by the question.

"I was wondering if we could go out sometime. Maybe tomorrow." Colin said watching her reaction.

"Um..." Lily bit her lip, "I don't know if that's such a good idea. Considering your connection with Amy."

Colin frowned, "What does that matter?"

"It doesn't really, I mean, not directly. But it would piss Amy off, and Ephram cares about her so that would upset him, and I care about Ephram, see where I'm going with this?" Lily asked.

Colin sighed, "I just want to go on a normal date, with someone who didn't know me before my accident. I want to have a conversation with someone without them bringing up the past and how I used to be. And you are the only girl in this school who didn't know me before hand and who still doesn't know me."

"So let me get this straight," Lily clarified, "You're sole purpose for asking me out is to have a day of normalcy. Not because you want to pursue a relationship or because you think I'm attractive?"

Colin nodded, "Yes. Don't get me wrong, I think you're pretty, but that's not why I want to go out with you."

Lily thought for a second, "So it would be more like hanging out, not a date."

"Exactly," Colin said smiling.

"I can handle that," Lily said nodding.

The song had ended and they walked to Lily's table. 

Lily turned to Colin, "If we go to my locker I can get a pen and paper and write down my phone number so we can plan for tomorrow."

"Ok," Colin agreed and they walked out of the auditorium just as Amy and Ephram were walking to the table. They gave each other questioning looks.

Amy was not pleased, "Since when did they start talking to each other?"

Ephram shrugged, not as upset as Amy, "Since tonight I guess." He sat down, his feet were killing him. 

Amy continued standing, "Don't you want to know what they are doing?"

"Not really. I just want to sit." Ephram replied.

"How if they are making out or something and they never return?" Amy snapped.

"Calm down, I'm sure they aren't making out." Ephram said confidently.

"How would you know? She hates me and she is probably trying to get back at me." Amy said watching the auditorium doors.

Ephram was about to defend Lily when her and Colin walked back into the auditorium. Amy stood with her arms crossed glaring at Lily. Colin noticed and figured this would be a good time to ask Amy to dance. He had put it off all night, afraid to be that close to her. He missed her a lot and being close to her made it harder and he just wasn't ready to go out with her again.

"Let's dance," he said extending his hand to Amy. Luckily a fast song was playing, so Colin wouldn't have to be that close to her.

Amy smiled and took his hand as they walked to the dance floor.

Lily sat down next to Ephram. He looked at her and she could tell he wanted to know why she had left with Colin. But Colin had asked her to not tell anyone. He wanted to keep their date as normal as possible. He told her she could tell anyone she wanted after Sunday and she had agreed.

"I'm gonna get something to drink. Want anything?" she asked getting up from the table.

"I'll go with you," Ephram said and he walked with her to the refreshment table. They stood there drinking their punch. Ephram wanted to ask what was going on with her and Colin, but it was obvious she didn't want to talk about it. So he decided to let it go for now.

"I owe you a slow dance," Ephram said turning to Lily.

She smiled, glad he didn't ask about Colin. "Yes you do." She finished her punch and grabbed Ephram's hand. "Let's continue dancing." Ephram swallowed the rest of his punch and then followed her.

Ephram followed Lily's moves, trying to improve his dancing. He was glad she didn't care that he was a bad dancer. She of course was good, from going to numerous parties he assumed. He started thinking about his dance with Amy. He was disappointed that he wasn't able to dance the first slow song with Lily, but she didn't seem mind, so he had accepted Amy's invitation. It was so different between him and Amy now. Last year a slow dance with her had been the highlight of the dance. But this time, all he could think about while they danced, was Lily. He was a little bit jealous that Colin had danced with her, his only comfort had been the distance between them. 

Lily's laughter cut through Ephram's thoughts. "You're hopeless, Ephram. You have no rhythm."

"I'm doing exactly what you're doing." Ephram protested.

Lily shook her head, "No you're not. I'm dancing. I don't know what the hell you're doing."

"Hey I'm trying." Ephram said pretending to be offended.

Lily smiled at him. "I know. And I really appreciate it." She said honestly.

Just then a slow song came on. Ephram smiled and pulled Lily closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Now this I can dance to," he told her.

Her pulse quickened as soon as he pulled her close. All she could manage was a small smile. She looked away, not wanting their eyes to meet. Because of her high heels her face was almost even with Ephram's and all she had to do was lean in an inch and their lips would be touching. She couldn't let that happen, so she looked away. 

"Your bruise is getting better," she said trying to find a safe topic.

"Yeah," Ephram said not very interested in her choice of topic. All he cared about was having her in his arms. She was so close he could smell the faint remains of her perfume. The sweet scent swam in his head, and made him think of flowers. He didn't know enough about flowers to say which ones, but it definitely smelled like flowers. He pulled her closer to him and he felt her tense up.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, of course," she replied too quickly. "Y-You are a good dancer." She said hoping he wouldn't notice her nervousness.

"I told you," he whispered in her ear, which made her body tingle. She couldn't help but giggle.

"That tickles," she said rubbing her ear to stop the tingling.

"Oh really?" he whispered into her other ear. 

"Stop it," she said laughing and rubbing her other ear.

"Or else?" he challenged.

"I'll get you back when you least expect it." She said lightly, her nervousness starting to leave.

"Oh I'm so scared," Ephram mocked.

"You should be." Lily pretended to threaten him.

"I could never be scared of you, Lily," Ephram said softly in her ear.

Lily felt the tingles again but this time she didn't do anything about it. The way he had said that…it was different. 

_When the hell is this song gonna end, _she thought, _I can't stand this rollercoaster of emotions. How can being this close to one guy, cause so much turmoil to my feelings? _

Lily knew the answer before she even thought it. She was falling in love with Ephram. The realization hit her like a stone. 

_I'm falling in love with my best friend, _she was shocked by what her heart was telling her mind, _Dammit_, this wasn't supposed to happen!__

Lily pulled away from Ephram, "I'll be back" she said rushing off the dance floor and out of the auditorium. She heard the song ending as she ran through the hallway to the bathroom.

She leaned against the wall and put her hands over her face. She had to calm down so she could go back and face Ephram. He couldn't know about this, she couldn't lose him. She was so mad at herself. How could she have let this happen? She put her hands down and sighed deeply. She was just gonna have to hide her feelings the best she could. She gained as much composure as she could and walked out of the bathroom. 

When she got inside the auditorium she spotted Ephram sitting at the table by himself. He watched her as she walked over to the table.

"You ok," he asked concerned.

"Yeah I just had to go to the bathroom," she answered.

Ephram nodded slightly.

"You know what, I am really tired. Maybe we should go ahead and call it a night." Lily said faking a yawn.

Ephram shook his head, "I don't think so. I'm just getting started. Besides we only have a half hour left. You can make it." He got up and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor. 

_Ok so far so good, _Lily thought, _we only have 5 minutes left and all the songs have been fast songs. I just might make it._

"Ok kids, this will be the last song for the night," the D.J. announced.

Lily held her breath, _Please_ don't be a slow song, Please don't be a slow song, _she repeated in her head._

The song started and it was…a slow song.

_Shit, _thought Lily. Before she could even formulate a lie to get out of dancing with Ephram, he already had his arms around her waist.

Her heart started beating faster. She leaned her head on his shoulder, more for support than anything else. She felt a jumble of emotions. She wanted to melt in his arms and runaway at the same time. She could feel tears starting to build up in her eyes. 

_Great just what I need.__ To cry like a baby. _She thought. She opened her eyes wide and blinked rapidly, causing her tears to dry up.

She concentrated on the words of the song, hoping to get her mind off Ephram. They danced quietly both deep in thought. 

Ephram wanted to hold her forever. It felt so right. "Lily?" he whispered.

Lily was so deep in thought she jumped when he whispered her name. Instinctively she brought her head up and looked at him. The minute their eyes met she realized the mistake she had made. It was too late though, she couldn't look away. The look in his eyes and the smile on his lips, made her melt. She couldn't do anything but look at him. The next thing she knew his lips had found hers. At that moment she forgot he was her best friend, she forgot she couldn't fall in love with him. The world dissolved around them and all that existed was the two of them. She pulled him closer and kissed him back, not wanting to let go. His lips were so soft, just like she had remembered. 

Ephram could taste her strawberry lip gloss. There wasn't much there, just enough to tease him. He couldn't think, he was lost in the kiss. Ephram pressed her against him and deepened the kiss. 

All of a sudden it ended. He opened his eyes and saw Lily standing in front of him, she must have pulled away. He looked around him and noticed everyone was leaving. The song must have ended. Ephram smiled, the kiss still lingering on his lips. He then noticed Lily wasn't smiling. She was just standing there, her eyes wide, and her hand over her mouth. 

She cleared her throat and removed her hand, "We better go." 

Ephram followed her out of the auditorium, neither of them speaking.


	20. Questions

Ephram picked up the phone for the zillionth time. He kept debating whether or not to call Lily. It was already 7 at night and he hadn't spoken to her since they had kissed. She hadn't called or come over to his house. He put the phone up for the last time. He decided he was just going to go to her house. 

Ephram knocked on the door and immediately shoved his shaking hands into his jean pockets.

"Hello, Ephram," Mrs. Anders greeted him with a smile.

"Hi. I was wondering if I could see Lily." He said with his hands still deep in his pockets.

Mrs. Anders shook her head, "She isn't home. She went to Mama Joy's with that Colin boy. She should be back soon. She left almost an hour ago. I'll have her call you when she gets in."

Ephram furrowed his brow. "Uh…No. I-I'll just talk to her on Monday. It wasn't that important," he lied.

"Ok have a good night, Ephram," Mrs. Anders said before closing the door.

Ephram walked home deep in thought. 

_What does Colin want from her? I know she couldn't have been the one who wanted them to hang out. Right? I mean it doesn't make sense. They have nothing in common. Plus she had never shown the slightest bit of interest in Colin. _

Ephram walked onto his porch and was greeted by a familiar face. Amy was sitting on his porch swing waiting for him. As soon as she saw him, she jumped up and rushed over to him.

"You will not believe what I saw tonight." She said angrily.

"What?" Ephram asked pretending like he didn't know what she was about to say.

"Colin and Lily…together…at Mama Joy's. And you know what they were doing?" Lily replied crossing her arms.

"No what?" Ephram asked not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"They were eating and laughing. As if they were old buddies." Amy scowled.

"That's it." Ephram said with relief.

"That's it? That's enough. They aren't friends. Why are they hanging out? And why didn't they tell anyone?" Amy asked irritated by Ephram's lack of understanding of the magnitude of the situation. "You should be more upset. Especially after what happened last night. And she says I'm toying with your feelings?! She's such a hypocrite."

"They're just hanging out. And we just haven't had a chance to talk about what happened." Ephram said confidently.

"Don't be delusional. If they were just hanging out why did they keep it a secret?" Amy inquired.

"Because they knew if you found out you would act like this," he pointed out.

"Whatever, Ephram" Amy said raising her voice, "There is no way a girl like Lily can just hang out with someone as great as Colin. You know she wants more from him."

Now Ephram was pissed, "What the hell is that supposed to mean. He's the one that came up to her. Obviously he is the one that wants something from Lily. And has it not occurred to you that she might like me. That I might be good enough for her. That not every girl would pick Colin over me." 

"That's not what I meant. I…"

Ephram interrupted her, "Forget it. Just leave." He walked into his house, leaving her standing at the bottom of the porch.

Lily and Ephram walked to school in silence. There was so much to say, but neither knew where to start. Lily just wanted the tension between them to go away. She had no clue how to start talking to him. She bit her lip seeing the school up ahead. She wanted to say something, anything, before they got to school. 

"Are we okay," she asked glancing up at Ephram.

He looked back at her, surprised she had even spoken. He assumed they would just walk to school in complete silence.

"I don't know. But I want us to be." Ephram answered honestly.

"I know you know about last night. I saw Amy and I am sure she ran straight to you. And my mom told me you came over."

"Yeah," was all Ephram could manage to say. 

"We were just hanging out, but I'm sure Amy made it into a big deal."

"Why were you hanging out? I mean you don't have anything in common." Ephram asked bluntly.

"He just wanted someone to talk with about normal stuff. You know, school, music, movies, not his accident, the past, Amy. And so that's what we did." Lily answered honestly.

"And that's it?" Ephram asked curiously. 

"Of course," Amy said raising her eyebrows, "Colin is totally not my type. I felt bad for him though. I mean if someone is desperate enough to want to hang out with me and they consider that a normal date, then they have issues." Lily said trying to lighten up the situation.

Ephram laughed slightly as they headed into the school. 

"I'll see you in English," Lily said walking down the hall to her locker.

"Ok," Ephram said wondering when they were going to talk about what had happened between them.

"How was the dance?" April asked innocently.

"Good," Lily answered not looking up from her tray.

"I heard you went out with Colin? Are you two dating or something?" asked April.

"Shit. Word travels fast around here. We just grabbed something to eat. We are definitely not dating." Lily stated in an annoyed voice.

April's eyes widened, "But you went out with him. That's pretty big news, especially since him and Amy broke up." April pointed out. 

Ephram sighed not wanting to talk about Lily and Colin. 

Lily looked up at Ephram, "Amy and her little friends have made a point of glaring at me every time they pass me. They are so immature."

"Well Amy's still mad. She thinks there is more going on." Ephram replied.

"She swears Colin is some god that every girl is supposed to fall in love with." Lily said rolling her eyes.

April watched Lily and Ephram's interactions. She had heard about their make-out session at the dance. It was major news merely because Lily had gone out with Colin the very next day. April didn't dare ask about it, noticing they weren't exactly lovey dovey at the moment.

"Man the party was awesome," April said figuring that was a safe topic. She started telling them about the party and Lily was glad for the diversion.

"Hey maybe I can come to the diner tonight and walk you home, so we can talk." Ephram asked Lily leaning against the lockers.

Lily shut her locker door and looked at Ephram, "Actually Colin is gonna walk me home after work. He wanted to talk to me some more."

"Oh," Ephram said flatly.

"But you know what? My mom said we could go to the concert in Denver. It's on Friday so we would have to leave right after school. I mean if you still wanna go." She told him.

Ephram nodded slightly, "Of course. I have to ask my dad though." 

"There is one condition though. My mom has to take us and pick us up. She doesn't want me to ride the bus. It sucks, but at least I get to go to the concert." She informed Ephram.

"Then I'm sure my dad will let me go." He sighed, "We are gonna have to talk sooner or later, Lily." 

Lily looked away, "I know. But a few minutes in between class isn't gonna cut it. I am just waiting for the right moment. We can talk on Friday." She promised.

"Ok," Ephram said confused. He didn't realize the conversation was that serious. He figured they would just confirm their feelings and decide what to do about it. The way she was talking sounded like she wasn't happy about having to talk to him. Maybe she didn't feel the same way and she was unhappy about having to tell him that. _Great now I am gonna have to wait until Friday to find out. Why can't we just get it over with. thought Ephram. _

"I'll see you later, Ephram," Lily said heading off down the hall.

Ephram nodded still deep in thought.


	21. Avoiding The Issue

"I'm sorry about all the mess," Colin said as he walked Lily home from the diner.

"It's not your fault." Lily said.

"Not completely, but I did ask to hang out with you. And in the back of my mind, I knew it would be a big deal at school." Colin said sincerely.

"So? You just wanted some company. What's so wrong with that? And I don't care about what the people at school say or do. The only person whose opinion matters is Ephram. And he's not upset or anything." Lily replied.

Colin threw Lily a questioning look, "Are you sure about that? Whenever I saw you two together he looked upset."

"Not cuz of you." She said frowning.

Colin nodded in understanding, "Cuz of the kiss."

Lily turned to him, a little shocked that he had mentioned it.

Colin grinned slightly, "Everyone saw."

"I know. I just didn't think anyone paid attention."

"So what happens now, with you and him?" he inquired.

Lily shrugged, "I wish I knew."

"Well you can't leave him hanging." Colin pointed out.

"Isn't that what you did to Amy?" Lily challenged.

Colin sighed, "I'm working on it."

They had reached Lily's front door. She turned to him before getting into her house. "Thanks for walking me home. See you tomorrow."

"Bye," Colin said as he walked down the porch.

Mrs. Anders walked out of the kitchen as Lily closed the front door. 

"Hi Honey," Mrs. Anders greeted her daughter, "April called you. Her number's by the phone." 

Lily sighed, "I'm tired. I'll see her tomorrow at school. I'm gonna go take a long bubble bath."

Mrs. Anders nodded and returned to the kitchen.

The warm water soothed Lily's aching muscles. The bubbles scented the air and softened the water. Lily sank down deeper in the tub. It was so nice to just relax. The day had been a long one. 

Her thoughts went to Ephram. She wondered what he was doing right now. If he was thinking about her. She missed him. Today had been awkward between them and she missed the comfortable feeling she had always had around him. She hated not being able to joke with him. But mostly she hated not being honest with him. She knew damn well she could have talked to him today. They could have went off somewhere for lunch or she could have had him walk her home after work. She could very well talk to him tomorrow, or Wednesday, or Thursday, even before the concert on Friday. But she was afraid….afraid she'd lose him and she wasn't ready for that. She didn't know if she would be able to lie to him, and tell him she felt nothing for him beyond friendship. If she lied she might be able to keep him, until he found out she had lied and then he'd leave. If she told him the truth, then he would be scared off. How could she tell him she was in love with him? That was a lot of pressure. And she didn't even know how he felt. Sure he had been the one to kiss her, but he could have gone temporarily insane and not known what he was doing. If he did want her as more than a friend, then what? They date for a while, break up and hate each other. She didn't want that. But that kiss…and being in his arms…it had felt so wonderful and so…right. She had never felt so much with one guy before. She had never kissed a guy with so much emotion before. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. It was as if her poem had come to life in one moment. Damn, she needed to organize her feelings, figure out what she was going to say to Ephram. 

 "Hey Lily," April said walking over to Lily. "I called you last night."

"Yeah, my mom told me. I was too tired to call back." Lily explained.

"I understand," April said. She noticed Ephram up ahead and she tugged on Lily's arm. "Meet me outside of the school at lunch. Don't bring Ephram."

Lily turned to April, "What?"

"Trust me," she said smiling as Ephram approached them. "Hi Ephram."

"What's up?" he responded.

"Not much. Just heading to class," April started walking away, "I'll see you later Lily."

Ephram and Lily started walking to their English class.

"I'm not gonna be at lunch today. April wants to talk to me about something. I think it is girl talk or some junk like that." Lily glanced at Ephram.

"That's fine. So how was your walk home last night?" He asked in a hurt voice.

"Okay. Nothing special. Don't be jealous, you are always better company." Lily replied.

"Am I?" Ephram asked in an annoyed voice.

Lily eyes widened at his tone of voice. They had reached the classroom and they both sat down in their desks. Lily turned around and looked straight at Ephram, "You know damn well you are." Then she turned back around and stayed that way for the rest of the period.

"So what's up?" Lily asked April who was sitting next to her on a bench outside of the school.

"I know about you and Ephram kissing at the dance. I wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it. I mean, I know we aren't that close but I like to think we're friends. And I know Ephram is your best friend, but how do you talk to him about this. You know?" April paused and looked at Lily, "I wouldn't have brought it up if I thought you were handling it well. But by the way you and Ephram have been acting around each other, I'm assuming you haven't handled anything."

Lily groaned, "Nope, I've done nothing. Hell I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do."

"How do you feel about Ephram?" asked April.

Lily looked at her not sure whether to be honest or not, but she saw April was sincere.

"I'm in love with him," Lily said in a low voice, having never said it out loud before.

April nodded as if she knew that's what Lily was going to say. "How do you think he feels about you?"

"I don't know. He's the one that kissed me, but he could regret it for all I know."

April shook her head, "He doesn't regret it."

Lily raised her eyebrows, "How would you know?"

"I see the way he acts around you. I knew he liked you the day we went to the movies with Elijah. I'm sure he's liked you even before that, but that's when I noticed."

"You may be right, but even so, liking someone is different then being in love with them."

"You're right. And the only person who would know whether it's love is Ephram. But at least you know he likes you as more than a friend. That's something." April said. "You need to talk to him."

"That much I know. And I will I'm just not ready yet. We are going to a concert on Friday I plan on talking to him then."

"Don't you want to get it over with? I'm sure the wait is killing him."

"Well I told him we would talk on Friday. This gives us time to think." Lily replied defensively.

"Time to think about what? You both already know how you feel, you just haven't told each other." April pointed out.

"I'm just not ready ok," Lily said and she got up from the bench.

"Lily, I didn't mean to upset you," April said following her.

Lily turned to her, "I just wanna be alone for now."

April nodded and Lily walked off.

"Hey Ephram," Amy said taking a seat next to Ephram at the lunch table. "I want to say I'm sorry for yelling at you. And I'm sorry for what I said."

Ephram looked at her, "It seems like all our conversations are apologies now a days."

Amy looked down at the table, "I know."

"Look don't worry about it. I'm fine." Ephram said without looking at Amy.

Amy turned to him, "Still friends?"

He looked at her and smiled slightly, "Of course."

"Good," Amy said with a smile. "I'll see you later." She got up from the table, pleased that they were friends again. Ephram sighed as he watched her go, _Girls are so damn complicated._


	22. The Truth

"Hey dad," Ephram walked up to the table where his dad was looking through some files.

Dr. Brown looked up at his son, "Hello Ephram."

Ephram sat down next to his dad, "I've had so much on my mind lately I forgot to ask you if I could go to a concert with Lily on Friday. It's in Denver, but her mom's gonna take us and pick us up."

"Sure but that's a weird thing to slip your mind." Dr. Brown pointed out a little concerned.

"Yeah well things are weird between me and Lily right now."

"Anything you wanna talk about?" Dr. Brown asked his son.

Ephram thought about it for a second, debating whether to tell his dad. He hadn't talked about it with anyone and it was really bugging him. He figured his dad was as good as anyone to talk to.

"We kissed at the dance. Actually I kissed her. And things are awkward now." He informed his dad.

"I take it you want to pursue a relationship that extends beyond friendship?" Dr. Brown clarified.

"Yes. But I don't know how she feels. She won't talk to me. She said we'll talk on Friday. And she acts weird and distant around me." Ephram sighed thinking about Lily.

Dr. Brown thought for a second contemplating the woes of his teenage son. "Aren't you afraid of jeopardizing your friendship?"

"Sorta. But I can't deny what I feel. And just being her friend isn't going to work. I tried that with Amy and it just screwed me up."

"You need to tell her how you feel. Even if she's not ready to tell you how she feels. She might keep putting it off. But if you're ready to talk to her then you should." Dr. Brown advised his son.

Ephram leaned back in his chair and thought about what his dad had said. Maybe he should just talk to her. She couldn't refuse to listen. Right?

It was Thursday afternoon and Ephram was eating lunch with Lily and April. He still hadn't talked to Lily. He wanted to yesterday, but he could never get a minute alone with her. Today was half over and he still hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her. He debated just asking if they could have a second alone, but he figured she'd just say no. Lily seemed tenser today and he assumed it had to do with tomorrow being Friday. He missed her so much. It was weird, she was sitting right in front of him, yet she was so far away. It was sad really. Even April wasn't in the best of spirits, as if the tension was contagious. He watched Lily as she talked with April. He wasn't even paying attention to what they were saying. He noticed Lily never looked in his direction. It hurt, but he guessed that's why she didn't look at him. She probably saw the hurt in his eyes. 

Ephram couldn't stand it anymore. He hated the way they were around each other. He had to get out of there. 

Lily heard Ephram moving and she finally turned to see him getting up from the table. "Where are you going?" she asked concerned.

_Oh now she notices me, Ephram thought bitterly._

"I'm getting the hell out of here," he said a little too harshly.

He saw the hurt in Lily's face, but he continued to walk away. He needed some space.

Lily watched Ephram leave, but she didn't stop him. She knew why he had left. She hated the way she was acting. But she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't look at him without feeling the butterflies in her stomach. And she knew if she looked in his eyes again she would loose her reserve. She would probably end up blurting out her feelings and she couldn't do that. Not now, not here. 

Lily had just put on her pajamas when she heard the doorbell ring. She reached the bottom of the stairs just as her mom answered the door. 

Mrs. Anders turned to her daughter, "It's for you, honey."

Lily walked over to her mom, "Why don't you let them in?" she asked curiously.

"He wants to speak to you outside," Mrs. Anders told her daughter.

Lily went to the door and saw Ephram standing on the porch. She walked outside and closed the door behind her.

"Is everything ok, Ephram?" she asked worried.

"No, everything's not okay," he replied.

"What's wrong?" she asked stepping closer to him.

"Us. That's what's wrong." Ephram shoved his hands in his pockets. 

Lily looked away but stayed quiet.

Seeing that she wasn't going to respond, he continued, "You may not want to talk and that's fine. But you're gonna listen, cuz I have some stuff I wanna say."

Lily turned back to him and nodded.

Ephram started pacing in front of Lily. "The thing is…I kissed you for a reason. I mean I wanted to kiss you. I think about you all the time. You're beautiful and funny and smart and..." Ephram stopped pacing and paused. He turned to Lily. She just stood there her eyes wide. But she remained silent watching him. He walked right up to her and cupped her chin with his hand. "…and I have feelings for you, Lily. Not just friendly feelings…I really care for you." He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was a quick kiss, but the effect was still great. He pulled away his hand still cupping her chin. "I just thought you should know."

Lily nodded slightly, still unable to speak. Ephram smiled as a huge wave of relief flooded over him. He had got it off his chest and he felt damn good.

Lily just stood there, still not speaking. 

"I guess I'll hear what you have to say tomorrow. Good-bye Lily." He turned and started walking down the stairs.

He had reached the bottom of the porch when he felt Lily's hand on his arm.

"Wait." She said

He turned to face her. 

She bit her lip nervously, "Ephram, I-I…" she sighed and then continued, "…I don't want to ruin our friendship. It means so much to me. You mean so much to me."

"I can't just be your friend Lily. I want more." Ephram said softly.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Lily asked tears starting to form in her eyes.

"It depends on how you feel about me? Are your feelings strictly plutonic?" he asked watching her closely. The lighting outside wasn't that great, but he swore he could see tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

_This is it, _she thought.

She cleared her throat hoping her voice wouldn't crack. "I…I feel…" she paused and started again, "It's like this. My feelings for you have been so confusing up until the dance. When we slow danced…we were so close…and that's when it hit me. I realized how deep my feelings for you were. They scared me because I have never felt this much for a guy before. And later when you kissed me…it was…perfect." She stopped, her eyes on Ephram.

He didn't know what to say. He just stood there smiling at Lily. He pulled her to him and kissed her again. This time she was the one that deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself melt in his arms. They kissed for a while, neither wanting to let go. But Ephram needed to know where they were going from there. He didn't want her to avoid him again, so he reluctantly broke the kiss, their arms still wrapped around each other.

"So now what?" he asked gently.

Lily leaned in and laid her head on Ephram's shoulder. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered.

"You're not gonna lose me. You're still my best friend." He said hugging her tighter.

Lily wanted to tell him her fears, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. There would be time to talk tomorrow. For now she just wanted him to hold her.


	23. First Date part 1

Lily looked at herself one more time in her mirror. She was wearing a short black skirt and a black sleeveless tee with the words, _Iron Clad written on with silver glitter fabric paint. She chose to wear her knee-high boots without stockings to complete her outfit. They were going to the concert straight from school, so there was no time to change after school. She headed downstairs hoping to grab a glass of orange juice before Ephram showed up._

Mrs. Anders looked up from her coffee as Lily entered the kitchen, "Good morning honey."

"Hey mom," Lily said cheerily pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Is everything ok with Ephram?" Mrs. Anders asked cautiously. "He looked upset last night."

Lily took a long drink of her orange juice before answering her mom. "I'll tell you what we talked about if you tell me something in return."

Mrs. Anders looked at her daughter quizzically. "I don't know what you could possibly want to know. But that's fine."

"Basically he told me he likes me as more than a friend and I told him the same thing. So I am assuming tonight will be our first date." Lily informed her mom.

Mrs. Anders smiled, "He's a good boy."

Lily smiled slightly, "I knew you'd approve. Now I want to know if you are taking me and Ephram to the concert because David's the manager. Are you planning on staying and talking to him?"

"Honey we broke up for a reason." Mrs. Anders said unconvincingly.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Whatever. You broke up with him cuz we were moving here. Which, I might point out is just a few hours away. I don't even think it's far enough to be considered a long distance relationship. And you know he was good to you."

"Well I had thought if I bumped into him…" Mrs. Anders trailed off thinking about David. She had really liked him and he got along with Lily which was a plus. 

Just then the doorbell rang. Lily hugged her mom and then headed to the door. She smiled when she saw Ephram on the other side. She walked out onto the porch. "Hey Ephram."

He smiled, "Hey."

They walked down the porch together.

"Did you do that yourself?" Ephram asked pointing to Lily's shirt.

"Yep. I figured I'd show my pride."

"I like it," Ephram said nodding, "You look great."

Lily blushed a little, "Thanks."

"Hey about tonight. I know when you first invited me it was as friends. But I was thinking…since you know…last night…." Ephram trailed off.

Lily nodded, "I think it would be a great first date. That's what you meant right?"

Ephram nodded, "Ok then it's a date." He smiled and then slipped his hand into hers. And that's how they walked to school, hand in hand.

Amy was at her locker when she saw Ephram and Lily walk into the school. She immediately noticed they were holding hands and a pang of jealousy hit her. Even though Ephram had said he had moved on, a part of her hadn't believed him. And now the proof was right in front of her. She closed her locker and walked away from them. _I lost Colin and now Ephram, how did I manage that one? _she thought to herself as she walked down the hall.

April was walking down the hall when she noticed Ephram and Lily. She smiled and ran up to them.

"Hey guys," she said in a cheery voice.

"Hey" Ephram greeted April. 

"Hi" Lily said turning to April, "You sound happy."

"I'm happy for you two. It's about time you got together." April said with a smile still on her face.

"Yeah, yeah," Lily said rolling her eyes.

Ephram squeezed Lily's hand, "I need to go to my locker. I'll see you later."

Lily smiled at him and let go of his hand, "Ok."

Once Ephram was out of hearing distance Lily turned to April, "Look I'm sorry for the other day, when I yelled at you. I know you were just trying to help."

April shrugged, "Don't worry about it. So how did it happen? You know, you two getting together."

"Why don't you come over Sunday and I will tell you all about it?" Lily asked her.

April nodded, "Sounds like a plan. I'll see you at lunch."

Lily waved at April as she headed off to class.

"What's Iron Clad?" April asked Lily at the lunch table.

"They're a band. Not very famous yet. Ephram and I are going to see them tonight in Denver." Lily answered.

"Cool. Is it a date?" April asked bluntly.

Lily nodded.

April took a drink of her water and then shook her head, "I hate first dates. They are always so awkward."

Ephram blushed a little remembering his first and only date with April.

"Ephram and I already know each other so that takes all the awkwardness out of it." Lily said confidently.

"But that's not what makes it awkward," April argued, "It's not knowing when to hold hands, when to kiss, what is okay to talk about. That's the stuff that creates all the tension."

Ephram and Lily exchanged glances. 

"But after the first date awkwardness, things start running smoother," April explained realizing the discomfort she had caused.

Lily groaned, "I forgot to mention one little detail, Ephram."

Ephram raised his eyebrows, "What is it?"

"My mom will probably stay at the bar. She wants to talk to the manager, you know the man she used to date. But I'm sure she will stay out of our way. She really likes David and they haven't spoken to each other since we moved here, so…" she trailed off noticing the expression on Ephram's face.

"Now that could make it awkward." He stated.

Lily sighed, "I know. But she really wants to see David."

Ephram nodded, "Don't worry about it. It's cool."

Lily smiled gratefully.

April chuckled, "Good luck on your first date."

Mrs. Anders walked into the bar with Lily and Ephram close behind her. 

A burly man stepped in front of Mrs. Anders, "Excuse me ma'am, but your children are too young to be in here."

"We are friends of David's. As a matter of fact why don't you call him over here," Mrs. Anders informed the man.

He nodded and put his hand up, signaling them to stay put.

"Are you nervous about seeing David," Lily asked seeing the anxious expression on her mom's face.

Mrs. Anders gave a weak smile, "It's been a while."

Lily gave her mom an encouraging smile, "He'll be happy to see you."

They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see the man returning with David walking beside him. David was a tall slender man with a modest amount of muscles that you could see under his t-shirt. He had dusty blonde hair and sharp green eyes. His face lit up with a huge smile when he saw Beth and Lily. 

He turned and said something to the burly man who in turn nodded and walked off.

"How are you?" David asked as he hugged Lily and then Beth.

"We're good," Mrs. Anders replied smiling at him.

"And who's this?" David asked extending his hand to Ephram.

Lily hesitated not sure whether to call Ephram her boyfriend or not. This was only their first date. Was he her boyfriend?

Before Lily could introduce Ephram her mom chimed in. "This is Lily's boyfriend Ephram."

David nodded still smiling, "You must be special if she decided to settle down," he winked at Ephram.

Ephram laughed slightly. 

"So you came to see Iron Clad?" David asked turning to Lily.

"The shirt gave it away didn't it?" Lily teased.

David laughed and then turned to Beth, "Are you a fan also?"

"Actually, I came to see you." Mrs. Anders said.

"Well that sounds like the best offer I've had all night." David turned to Lily and Ephram, "You two go find a place before all the good spots are taken." He took Beth's hand and they walked to the bar area.

Lily grabbed Ephram's hand, "You heard the man," and with that they walked in the other direction.

"So how have you been, Beth?" David asked as he poured them both a drink.

They were sitting next to each other on the couch in his office.

"I'm good," Beth replied taking the drink he was handing her, "Thank you."

David sipped his drink slowly and leaned back against the couch, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Beth said with a slight smile. 

"So tell me about Everwood. Do you like it there?" 

Beth sipped her drink and proceeded to tell David about her new life in the small town of Everwood.

Lily and Ephram had managed to get pretty close to the small stage Iron Clad was playing on. Lily sang the songs right along with the band. She was having a great time. Every once and a while she would look over at Ephram. He was moving his body with the music and looked like he was having a good time also. Lily smiled to herself, this wasn't awkward at all and her mom was nowhere in sight. 

Two hours later the concert was over. The band had stayed a half hour after the concert and Lily was able to get an autographed poster of them. She rolled the poster up and turned to Ephram.

"I need to find my mom, so I can put this in the car. Come on, I bet they are in his office."

Ephram frowned, "Maybe we shouldn't disturb them."

"Trust me they will just be talking. I know my mom." Lily headed to the back of the bar. 

She knocked on David's office door. A second later he opened the door, "Hey. Come on in. How was the concert?"

Lily and Ephram walked into the office.

"It was awesome," Lily said then she turned to her mom who was sitting on the couch, "I need the car keys so I can put my poster up."

"Ok," Mrs. Anders dug in her purse and pulled out her keys. "Give them right back when you're done. I don't want you to lose them."

"Yes mom," Lily said grabbing the keys and heading out the door. Ephram waved bye to David and Beth and then followed Lily.  

They got to the car and then stopped dead in their tracks.

"Shit. I can't believe this," Lily said in complete shock not taking her eyes off the car.

Ephram just stared at a loss for words.

Lily turned on her heels and headed back into the club. She had to tell her mom.


	24. First Date part 2

Lily burst into the office with Ephram right behind her. "Mom you won't believe what happened?"

Mrs. Anders jumped from the couch noticing the urgency in her daughter's voice, "What is it honey?" she asked in a worried voice.

"It's your car the tires someone slashed them." Lily said in one long breath.

"What?" David chimed in, "All of them?"

Lily and Ephram shook their heads at the same time. 

"Just the two on the driver's side," Lily responded talking slower now.

David turned to Mrs. Anders, "Let's go check it out."

Beth nodded slightly and followed him out the door.

Lily slumped down on the couch and put her head in her hands, "I can't believe I came here. I should have known better."

Ephram sat down next to Lily and put his arm around her waist, "It's not your fault."

Lily brought her head up from behind her hands and sighed, "Yes it is. I'm the reason they did it. The night my dad died the police asked me all these questions about the party and the kind of people my dad knew. I was so angry at all those people. I blamed them for not trying to save my dad's life. So I blurted everything out. Because of the stuff I told them, a lot of people got busted for drugs. Of course they knew I was the one who told and they found out our phone number and would call and threaten us. That's one of the reasons we moved. And I know it was probably one of those people and they saw me here. I shouldn't have come back to Denver. I shouldn't have…" Lily was interrupted by her mom and David walking into the office.

"Then it's settled," she heard David say as he walked into the office.

"What's settled?" Lily asked looking up at him.

"You are all staying with me tonight and we will get new tires first thing tomorrow." David answered.

Ephram furrowed his brow, "Aren't you going to call the police?" 

Mrs. Anders sighed, "If we do David will get in trouble for letting minors into his bar."

"He's right Beth. We need to report this," David said sincerely, "We'll drop them off at my apartment and then come back and call the police."

Beth nodded a frown still on her face, "Ok. Let me call Dr. Brown and let him know what's going on."

Beth walked to the phone on David's desk and dialed the Brown's number. After the third ring Dr. Brown picked up. "Hello."

"Dr. Brown. This is Beth."

"Is everything okay? You don't sound well."

"No. My car broke down and we are going to have to stay overnight. I have a friend who will let us stay with him. I'm going to get my car fixed first thing tomorrow morning."

"I could drive up there and we could call a tow truck for your car. I don't mind."

"No." Beth replied quickly. She didn't want him to see her slashed tires. She didn't want to have to explain why anyone would want to do that to her. "That is too much extra money on gas and a tow truck, when we can stay and it's not a problem."

"Ok. But you can call me at any point and the offer still stands."

"Thank you. I will call you tomorrow when we are on our way. Good-bye."

Beth hung up the phone and turned to everyone else. No one asked her why she didn't tell Dr. Brown about the tires, they all understood. 

"We'll be back in a little while," Mrs. Anders said as her and David headed to the front door.

Lily and Ephram were sitting in David's living room on the couch. They nodded. 

"Bye," Lily said as they walked out of the apartment.

Ephram leaned back on the couch and put his arm across the back of the couch, "I think it's safe to say this is a first date neither of us will forget."

Lily laughed for the first time since she saw the slashed tires, "That's for sure."

"Aside from the obvious, was this a good first date? I mean do you want a second date?" Ephram asked turning to Lily.

"Of course I want a second date. And a third and a fourth." Lily answered smiling at Ephram, "But who said our first date was over?"

"I just assumed since we would be ending our date right now if we were in Everwood. This may come as a shock to you but I've never spent the night with a girl before, so I'm not sure how that works."

Lily rolled her eyes, "If this were my place and we had actually planned on spending the night together then we would already have half our clothes off by now. Clearly that's not the case so we'll just have to make due with our situation."

"Which means what exactly?" Ephram asked a smile starting to form on the corner of his mouth.

"You said if we were in Everwood right now our date would be ending. That means we'd be on your porch during that awkward end of date kissing moment." She leaned in closer to Ephram and placed her left hand on his leg. "I would tell you I had a wonderful time."

Ephram caught on quick. "And I would agree and ask if I could call you." He responded slipping his arm from the couch to her shoulders.

"And I would say yes I would like that." She said touching his cheek with her right hand.

"And then I would kiss you good-night." Ephram said leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. He ran his left hand through her hair and then pulled her closer to him. Their kiss deepened and so did Ephram's pulse. He could feel the warmth of her hand on his leg and the softness of her lips against his. He pulled back slightly ending their kiss and looked into her eyes, "I love kissing you."

"If you love kissing me so much, then how come you stopped?" she questioned.

"Good point," He said leaning in and kissing her again.

Lily got lost in Ephram's arms. She hadn't worried about them becoming more than friends since they walked into the bar. She didn't even know if he was her boyfriend or even how to label their relationship. But that didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was how right it felt to be with him. It wasn't awkward or confusing anymore. It was simply perfect. Lily continued kissing Ephram not wanting to stop. She didn't want reality to hit. She wanted to forget about her mom's tires, forget about her dad and her life in Denver. She didn't want to think about what would happen between her and Ephram if they became serious and then broke up. And it was so easy to not think when she was kissing him. 

After several minutes Ephram pulled away, "We should probably slow down," he said catching his breath.

Lily bit her bottom lip and nodded. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her.

"I know this is our first date, but considering our friendship, it feels as if we have been going out forever." He said glancing at her.

"Yeah I know what you mean."

"So what are we to each other? Are we just dating or are we more serious than that?" he asked her.

Lily sighed deeply. Why did he want to talk about it now? "What do you think?" she asked him instead of answering herself.

"I think we are beyond just dating. I think of you as my girlfriend. And you?"

"I agree. But aren't you afraid of what will happen when we break up?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"When we break up? Don't you mean if we break up?"

"We're 16 Ephram. Not many relationships last past high school." Lily said sadly.

He kissed the top of her head, "We'll just have to prove that statistic wrong."

"I've never had a boyfriend. I have no clue how to keep up a relationship. The odds are against me."

"You are doing great and you did great when we were friends." He pointed out.

She looked up at him. "I want us to last too. But that doesn't mean I don't think about what would happen if we didn't. How would we remain friends?" 

"If both of us want to remain friends we'll make it happen. You just have to trust our friendship to withstand all obstacles."

Lily smiled at him. "You're so positive."

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips and then rested his cheek on her head.

When Mrs. Anders and David walked into the apartment a couple hours later they found Lily and Ephram fast asleep on the couch. 

"Lily honey," Mrs. Anders shook her daughter.

Lily stirred and opened her eyes slowly. Feeling her move, Ephram opened his eyes as well.

"Hmmm," Lily mumbled.

"Get up so we can go to bed." She told her daughter.

Lily got up slowly and stretched. Ephram yawned and got up from the couch.

Beth took Lily's hand, "We're going to sleep in David's bed."

"What about Ephram," Lily asked still disoriented.

"The couch pulls out to a bed and he can sleep there." David answered, "And I have a cot I can put in here and sleep on."

Lily nodded satisfied with the answer and followed her mom to the bedroom.


	25. All's Well That Ends Well

Lily stumbled into the kitchen Saturday morning. Her skirt was wrinkled and her hair was disheveled. She walked over to the kitchen table where Ephram, Beth, and David sat eating breakfast. Someone had made breakfast burritos and the smell was teasing her nose. 

Ephram smiled up at Lily, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Lily said with a yawn.

"We saved you a couple burritos," Mrs. Anders informed her daughter, "And there is a new toothbrush for you in the bathroom. David and I picked some up last night."

Lily smiled, "Good thinking."

She sat down next to Ephram and David handed her a plate with two burritos on it. 

"Thanks," Lily said before scarfing them both down. She hadn't realized she was so hungry.

"Don't inhale it." Ephram teased.

Lily smiled slightly at him, her mouth still full of food. 

A few minutes later Lily got up from the table having already finished her breakfast. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

Mrs. Anders got up from the table too, "I'll get my hair brush and bring it to you. Your hair is a disaster."

Lily nodded and headed to the bathroom. 

Once Lily and Beth were out of earshot David turned to Ephram, "You're lucky. You get to see how she looks in the morning before you commit to her."

Ephram smiled thinking about how beautiful Lily was even first thing in the morning.

"Here you go honey," Mrs. Anders said walking into the bathroom.

Lily's mouth was full of toothpaste so she could only nod in response.

"I can do it for you," Mrs. Anders said walking behind her daughter. She ran the brush through her daughter's hair careful not to pull to hard at the tangles.

"I haven't brushed your hair in years."

Lily spit out her toothpaste and wiped her mouth. "You used to always put it in two ponytails. I had to stop the madness."

Mrs. Anders chuckled, "Those were the days."

Lily looked at her and her mom's reflection in the mirror. They looked so much alike. She smiled to herself. 

Mrs. Anders sopped brushing her daughter's hair and looked at her in the mirror, "What happened last night wasn't your fault."

Lily sighed, "Yes it was."

"Honey you had no way of knowing they would be there. Or even who they were. Denver is your home. You were born and raised here. You have every right to want to come back and you shouldn't be afraid to."

Mrs. Anders started brushing Lily's hair again, "By the way I'm not going to get new tires for the car."

Lily wrinkled her forehead, "What are you talking about? How will we get home?"

"David and I talked it over last night and we thought it would be best if I just got a new car. That way we wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding us in Everwood."

"Ok so what's the plan?" Lily asked unsure of her mom's new idea.

"We'll keep the car here and David will get new tires and sell it for us. In the meantime we will buy a new car and whatever money we get from this car we will put into the payment of the new car."

"And you want to sell it here so no one can trace us to Everwood?"

"Exactly," Mrs. Anders said placing the brush on the counter.

Lily turned to her mom, "I hate this. I feel like a fugitive."

Mrs. Anders reached over and hugged her daughter, "I know sweetheart. That's why I want to do this, so we can feel safe in Everwood."

As soon as David had pulled out of the apartment parking lot Beth dialed Dr. Brown on her cell phone.

"Hello," said the familiar voice.

"Dr. Brown, it's Beth again"

"Oh hi Beth. Did everything work out?"

"Not completely. The car is very damaged so I am just going to get a new one. The friend we stayed with, David, is driving us back."

"I'm sorry about your car."

"It's ok. A new one will be nice."

Lily smiled to herself in the backseat. She had wondered how her mom was going to explain this to Dr. Brown.

"That's true," Dr. Brown said. He paused for a second and then continued, "Can I speak to Ephram?"

"Of course," Beth handed the phone to Ephram, "He wants to speak to you."

Ephram took the phone, "Yes dad?"

"Are you doing alright?"

"Yes."

"Good. By the way after you get back I need your help putting up Halloween decorations."

"In the house?"

"In the house and in my office."

"Since when do we decorate for holidays?"

"Since today. Besides I figure it's better to do it now instead of right before the party."

"What party?"

"Our Halloween party. Didn't I tell you about that?"  
"No. So now we throw holiday parties as well?"

"Sure why not? Well I'll be waiting for you. I have all the decorations in the hallway ready to go."

Ephram sighed, "Great. Good-bye dad." He hung up and handed the phone back to Beth.

Lily looked over at Ephram, "What was that all about?"

"My dad is putting up Halloween decorations and throwing a Halloween party. He wants me to help him put up the decorations when I get back."

"Ohh a Halloween party that sounds like fun." Lily said excitedly.

Ephram grumbled, "Just sounds like work to me."

She poked him in the side, "Come on. Don't tell me you don't enjoy putting on a costume and bobbing for apples."

"I guess if you're there it'll be fun."

"Of course. We'll have a great time. It's gonna be so much fun deciding what to wear. Did you dress up last year?"

Ephram shook his head, "No. Did you?"

"Yep," Lily said nodding her head, "I was a schoolgirl."

Beth turned and looked at her daughter, "And you are not going to be that this year. That costume got too much attention."

Lily laughed, "Blame that on Britney Spears."

Ephram leaned in and lowered his voice so only Lily could hear him, "If you want to wear that costume again that's fine by me. No use wasting a perfectly good costume."

Lily's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Nice try, but I was thinking of something a little darker."

Lily changed the subject, "So it looks like we'll both be busy this afternoon."

"What are your plans?" Ephram asked.

"I'm gonna paint the walls in my room grey." Lily explained.

"Cool. After I finish helping my dad I can come over and help you, if you want me to."

"That'd be great. I can use all the help I can get."

"Did I hear you say you needed help," David asked.

"Yep." Lily answered.

"Ok then I'll stay and help you. I don't have to work tonight." David replied.

"Awesome, I might actually get my room finished tonight." Lily said happily.

"How was the concert?" Dr. Brown asked his son as he handed him a nail to hang up the glow-in-the-dark skeleton.

Ephram hammered the nail into the pillar on the porch. "Great."

"Good," Dr. Brown said with a nod, "I'm sorry for not telling you about the party. I thought I had."

"It's ok cuz I forgot to tell you Lily and I are going out now." Ephram took the skeleton from his dad and hung it on the nail.

Dr. Brown raised an eyebrow, "Really. When did this happen?"

"Last night was our first date. I took your advice and told her how I felt and she told me she felt the same way."

"Wow I can't believe it?" Dr. Brown said in shock.

"What? You can't believe your advice worked?" Ephram mocked as he picked up a fake spiderweb.

"No. I can't believe you listened to me" Dr. Brown said with a grin.

"Well don't get used to it." Ephram teased stringing the fake spiderweb on the front door.

Lily, Beth, and David were in the kitchen taking a break when the doorbell rang. Lily set down her lemonade and rushed to the front door. She opened the door, "Come on in Ephram."

Ephram walked into the house, "How's your room coming?"

"Good. There is only one wall left. The old people are tired so we might have to do it ourselves."

"Hey I heard that," David yelled from the kitchen.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Come on I'm anxious to finish."

Ephram followed her upstairs, the smell of paint assaulting his nostrils.

Once they got in the room Lily handed him a face mask, "Here. It isn't good to inhale paint fumes."

"Then how will I be able to kiss you."

Lily reached up and kissed him on the lips. "You'll just have to wait until we're done."

With that she put her mask on and headed to the unfinished wall.

Ephram looked around the room and admired the new walls. "It looks good."

"Yes it does. Thanks for your help. I don't know about you but I need some fresh air."

Ephram agreed and they headed out of the room.

"How does your room look?" Beth asked from the couch.

"Really good," Lily responded.

"Dr. Brown invited us to eat dinner with him and his family tonight. He wants to meet David." Mrs. Anders explained.

Ephram looked down at his clothes. He was wearing an old t-shirt and pair of jeans. Now they not only had holes but paint on them as well. "What time are we eating?" he asked Beth.

"He said to call when we were ready." She answered.

"I'm gonna go home and change and then I'll just go with him to the restaurant."

Lily turned to face Ephram. She placed her hands on his waist and looked him over. "You look fine to me."

"You're biased." He said with a slight grin.

"Maybe so." She said, "Ok fine go home and change." She walked him to the door and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Bye," he said walking down the porch.

Lily lay next to her mom on the bed. She couldn't sleep in her room for 24 hours so she was sleeping with her mom. She stared up at the dark ceiling her thoughts drowning out her mom's light snoring. She thought of how great the weekend had been so far. Aside from her mom's tires getting slashed everything had went smoothly. She had a great time with Ephram. And her mom and David were really enjoying each other's company. She thought of the dinner. Everyone had gotten along effortlessly. She had met Dr. Brown and Delia numerous times before, but tonight was different. She was Ephram's girlfriend now. But everyone was good about not making a big deal of it. Lily pictured Ephram in her head and that made her smile. Memories of them kissing lingered in her mind. And that's how she fell asleep with a smile on her lips and an image of Ephram in her head.


	26. New Opportunities

"I am so happy for you," April gushed.

She and Lily were sitting down on Lily's bed. They had spent most of the afternoon arranging and decorating Lily's room. She now had her old sheets and comforter on her bed and she had put up her posters of all her favorite bands. She even took down a lot of her photographs and tucked them safely away in her closet. 

Lily had just finished telling April about how Ephram had come to her house Thursday night and about their date. 

"Thanks," Lily said with a smile. "So how was your weekend?"

April sighed lightly, "Not as good as yours, which is why I am living vicariously through you right now. I did meet a guy though, at this party. He even goes to our school. I had seen him a couple times, but I had never really noticed him. We got to talking and I found out he is actually really cool."

"What's his name?" asked Lily curiously.

"Wendell." April said smiling.

Lily wrinkled her forehead, trying to put a face to the name, "I don't think I've met him, but the name sounds familiar. Maybe he's in one of my classes. What grade is he in?"

"He's a junior like us. He said he's noticed me hanging with Ephram. Says they are friends."

"Odd. Ephram's never mentioned him." Lily responded. "That's cool though, that you met someone."

"Yeah. He asked for my phone number and I gave it to him. But I don't know if he'll call." 

Lily chuckled, "Guys are so bad at that."

"Yeah tell me about it," April agreed. "So do you wanna watch the movie now?"

"Sure. But we need to stop by the kitchen to get junk food first."

"Deal," April said getting up from the bed.

April had rented _How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days_. Lily had never seen it, but April had seen it five times and swore that it was an awesome movie. So the girls headed to the kitchen to grab chips and soda and any other non-nutritious food they could find.

Lily had been a little apprehensive before April had arrived. She hadn't hung out like this with another girl since before puberty. Luckily she was having a great time with April. It was nice to have someone other than Ephram to talk to, especially when she wanted to talk about him!  

"Honey, it's Ephram," Mrs. Anders said handing the phone to her daughter.

"Hi," Lily greeted him.

"Hey. How was your day with April?"

"Really good actually. She helped me fix up my room and we watched a girlie movie."

Ephram laughed, "Spending time with another female just might be good for you."

"Look whose talking. You don't hang out with any guys."

"Girls are just better company."

"Why don't you hang out with Wendell?" Lily inquired.

"Wendell? You know him?"

"No. But April hung out with him this weekend at a party. He mentioned you were his friend."

"His friend huh? I wouldn't use that word myself."

"What word would you use?"

"Um…acquaintance I guess. He just came up to me one day and wanted to help me get Amy's attention. We hung out a little at school, but that's the extent of it."

"Well I hope you like him, cuz you'll probably be seeing a lot more of him in the near future."

"He's ok, kind of odd. But I get along with him fine. Does April plan on dating him or something?"

"I dunno, but it's a likely possibility."

"That'll be interesting." Ephram stated.

Lily changed the subject, "You need to see my room. It looks cool now. By the way I need pictures of you and April. I am gonna start carrying my camera everywhere so I can get some good pictures."

"Ok. But I must warn you I'm not a photographic person."

"Whatever. Besides I will only keep the pictures that make you look hot."

"Sounds good to me."

Lily laughed slightly, "I bet. So what did you do today?"

"I played miniature golf with my dad and Delia."

"Who won the most games?"

"Who do you think?" he asked pretending to be offended.

"Delia," Lily teased.

"Sadly, that's the truth. But I at least won a game, whereas my dad lost every game. Apparently the great neurosurgeon is not a golfer." He joked.

That made Lily laugh, "Apparently neither is Mozart Jr."

"I take it you're referring to me." Ephram said in a light tone.

"Duh. Hey I better get ready for bed. See you tonight."

"Tonight?' Ephram asked confused.

"Yeah in my dreams."

"Good thing we're on the phone. You can't see me blush."

"Aww how sweet." Lily said chuckling.

"If you ever want to share what you dream about me, I will definitely listen."

"Same goes for you. Good-night Ephram."

"Good night Lily." Ephram hung up the phone and went to put it back on the cradle. He thought about Lily as he walked downstairs. He still couldn't believe they were going out. It was weird to think he could kiss her or hold her hand whenever he wanted. He smiled to himself. He couldn't remember being this happy since…last year with Amy. _I wonder what it would have been like if I had ended up with Amy. Would I have been this happy? He thought to himself. He wondered if Amy knew he was dating Lily. She probably didn't even care, except for the fact that she didn't get along with her. He hoped she got back with Colin soon. He knew they belonged together. He knew it even when he had hoped she'd choose him. She had stuck by Colin's side while he was in a coma, if that wasn't love he didn't know what was. He hoped Amy and him could become good friends again soon. He still cared about her and he enjoyed her company. Ephram sighed to himself. It all had to work out eventually, right?_

April rushed up to Lily and Ephram as they walked through the hallway Monday morning. 

"He called me last night," April said excitedly.

"Really? Impressive." Lily responded.

"Are you talking about Wendell?" Ephram asked.

April nodded, "I told him he could eat lunch with us today. That's cool right?"

"Of course," Lily said, "I want to meet him."

"So you know him, Ephram?" April asked turning her attention to Ephram.

"Yeah. We don't really talk though." He replied honestly. Just then he saw Amy walking down the hallway. He turned to Lily, "I'm gonna go talk to Amy." 

"Ok." Lily replied.

Ephram bent down and kissed her quickly on the lips. "See you later."

He walked up to Amy, "Hey."

"Hi," Amy greeted him. "I see you and Lily are going out now."

"Yeah. Just since Friday." Ephram paused for a second before continuing, "I know our friendship has had its share of obstacles lately. And I want to start things moving in the right direction. I thought we could hang out sometime this week. We could grab a bite to eat or something."

Amy frowned slightly, "What about Lily? I know she doesn't like me." 

"I'm not planning on bringing her so I don't see why it matters." Ephram stated matter-of-factly.

"I know she's not coming. I just didn't know if she'd let you hang out with me."

"Let me?" Ephram wrinkled his forehead, "I don't need her permission. Besides she wouldn't care anyway. She knows we're friends."

Amy smiled, "Ok then it's a plan. Call me tonight and we'll plan it."

He nodded, "Okay. I'll see you later."

"Bye," Amy said. She walked off a smile still on her face. She really wanted to be Ephram's friend again. She was glad he had approached her, it showed how much he valued their friendship. 

"There he is," April said waving to someone behind Ephram and Lily.

Lily turned around and saw a tall skinny guy with spiky hair walking towards them. He smiled at them and took a seat next to April.

"Hi April. How's it going Brown?" he greeted. 

"Good," Ephram answered.

Wendell turned to Lily, "I don't know you."

Lily smiled, "I'm Lily. Just moved here in September. And I already know you are Wendell."

"Yep. Am I that famous around here?" He joked.

"Something like that," Lily responded.

Wendell waved his hand at Lily and Ephram, "So you two are an item?"

They both nodded. Wendell turned to Ephram, "Glad to see you gave up on Amy. That wasn't working out too well."

Ephram frowned. _Leave it to Wendell to say something inappropriate._

"We're still friends," he told Wendell.

Wendell raised an eyebrow suspiciously but kept his mouth shut. He instead turned to April. "How are you doing?"

April smiled, "Good. You?"

"Good. Good," Wendell said nodding. He cleared his throat, "So um…maybe we could hang out sometime. Maybe we could all hang out or whatever."

April nodded still smiling. She thought he was so cute trying to ask her out, "Sure." She turned to Lily and Ephram. "What are you two doing this weekend?"

They looked at each other and Lily shrugged, "Don't have anything planned."

Wendell's eyes lit up, "Great. There's this killer party in the woods on Friday."

"In the woods? What woods?" Lily inquired not quite sure if she wanted to party in the woods, even though it did sound intriguing.

Wendell shrugged, "I have a map but that's it."

"We can't walk," Ephram stated thinking logically.

"We're not going to. I have a car and a license." Wendell answered proudly.

"How did you manage to get yours before me?" Ephram was surprised.

"Just the way the universe wanted it I guess. So are we on?" Wendell asked still excited.

Lily looked at Ephram. She knew he wasn't into parties so she wasn't sure what he wanted to do. 

"Ok. I'll go," he said finally.

"Really?" Lily asked making sure she heard him right.

Ephram nodded, "Yeah. I'll be with you so I'm sure I'll have more fun."

"Awesome." Lily beamed kissing him on the lips.

"There's something I need to tell you," Ephram informed Lily as they walked through the hallway after lunch.

"What is it?" she asked glancing at him.

"Amy and I are going to hang out sometime this week. I'm the one that approached her. I just really want us to become better friends, you know?"

Lily nodded, "I hope things work out between you two. I know you two really care about each other. Just make sure it stays a friendly date. I want to like her, for your sake, but I don't trust her."

Ephram turned to Lily and put his arms around her waist, "Don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't try anything. But you know I can't help it if I am incredibly irresistible." He teased leaning down and kissing her.

"Well I need to get to my locker. I'll see you later." He said after breaking the kiss.

"Ok, bye." Lily replied as they both headed to their lockers.

*A/N I have not gotten many reviews in a while. I have a lot of ideas for my story and it is definitely going to start getting interesting in the next few chapters. But if no one is reading my story or if no one likes it anymore then there's no point in continuing. Please let me know if you think I should keep writing. I will wait until I get quite a few reviews to continue. I don't want to keep writing if no one is interested anymore. 


	27. Mistakes

"Lily," Mr. Davis said sternly rushing over to her.

"What," Lily asked wearily pushing strands of loose hair behind her ear.

Mr. Davis was the manager on duty at Mama Joy's. He was a short round man with thin tight lips that seemed to always be frowning. 

"Why have you neglected table 10. They have been waiting for over 20 minutes to get their pie." He growled.

"What?" Lily asked looking up at the table full of teenagers. A few of them were watching Lily and snickering with their friends. Ever since they had come in they had been nothing but rude to her. When she had walked away to put in their order she heard one of the girls talk about how no one should give her a tip.

"I don't know what they told you but they didn't order pie. I offered them dessert but they declined."

"That's not what they said and they are the customers so get them their pie!" Mr. Davis stalked off angrily.

Lily sighed. This was a busy night and she didn't have time to entertain the imbeciles at table 10. She wiped her hands on her apron and headed to the table, to ask again if they wanted dessert.

The teenagers kept snickering even when she had walked up to their table. She watched them with a glare on her face, "My manager informed me that you in fact want dessert. Unfortunately I can't read minds, so if you want dessert you have to actually tell me. So once again, would you like dessert?"

A girl with short brown hair and big blues eyes spoke up, loud enough for Mr. Davis as well as anyone else within a 10 feet radius, to hear, "We just want to get the chocolate pie we ordered almost half an hour ago. Why are you being so rude? We just want our pie."

The rest of her clan laughed as if on cue.

Mr. Davis walked quickly over to Lily. He glared at her before turning to the teenagers, "I will have your pie right out. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. It is on the house." He turned back to Lily, "Now go get their pie!"

By now Lily was really pissed off. They had made her look like an idiot in front of the whole restaurant. She glared right back at Mr. Davis, "No!" Then she turned to the teenagers, "By the way. Fuck you." With that she walked away from table 10 and out of the door. She didn't even bother clocking out. She didn't care, she hated that job anyway. And she was not going to let some idiots make her feel inferior. She took off her apron as she walked home, letting the fresh air cool her burning cheeks. She knew her mom would be disappointed. She thought about going to Ephram's instead of home. Her mom's lecture could wait a couple hours. Then she remembered he was going to hang out with Amy this week, so he might not even be home. She debated it in her head, _Ephram, home, Ephram, home. She came to the conclusion that she just wasn't ready to go home, so she headed to Ephram's house, hoping he was home._

Lily knocked one the Brown's front door. A few seconds later Ephram opened the door. Lily was relieved to see him, it meant she wouldn't have to go home for a while.

Ephram opened the door, a confused expression on his face, "Is everything ok?"

Lily walked in and closed the door behind her. "Are you busy?" she asked wondering if Amy was there.

"Nope. Unless you count reading comics as busy." Ephram answered his face still full of concern.

"So Amy's not here?" she clarified.

"No. We aren't hanging out till tomorrow night. You have my undivided attention," Ephram said walking over to the couch. They both sat down facing each other.

"You're probably wondering why I am here since technically I should still be at work." 

He nodded, "Yeah that thought had crossed my mind,"

"Well I kinda lost my job." She said biting her bottom lip.

"Did you quit or get fired," asked Ephram.

"Both," she answered. Seeing the confusion on his face she explained further, "These kids from our school were giving me a hard time. They were being rude and they made me look bad in front of the manager. So I got pissed off and cussed them out. I walked out before I could get fired and I never actually said I quit, but I think it is safe to say I no longer have a job."

"Wow," he said shocked, "And you haven't told your mom yet?"

She shook her head, "Nope. I came straight here from work. I know what she's gonna say and I'm just not ready to hear it."

"Do you think you'll get another job?"

She shrugged, "I dunno. The reason I got the job in the first place was to prove to my mom I was responsible and to gain her trust back. But I think I defeated that purpose. So who knows what I'll do."

"Did you know the people from school?"

"Not really. I never pay much attention to the people at school. They all kinda blend into a sea of jeans and blond hair. But my guess is I will know them tomorrow. I'm sure they will have something to say about tonight. But it's cool. The one girl that spoke the most looks anorexic, so I can take her."

He shook his head an amused expression on his face, "Now Lily, fighting isn't the answer."

"It'll be self defense. I don't plan on starting the fight like some people." She mocked.

"Hey it was for a good cause," he defended himself.

Lily rolled her eyes before changing the subject, "Now that I'm here and I have your undivided attention I want to talk to you about Wendell."

Ephram gave Lily a questioning look, "What about him?"

Lily leaned back against the couch cushions and then responded in a serious tone, "I just want to make sure he's a good guy, you know for April."

Ephram leaned back and rested his arm around Lily's shoulders, "He's a good guy." He reassured her.

"Then how come you didn't call him your friend?"

"Last year was a hard year. My whole life had changed drastically and I just wasn't in the mood for friends. I kept my distance because I wanted to be left alone, not because he's a bad guy."

Lily thought about his statement for a second, "Then what about Amy? You became her friend."

"Not on purpose," he pointed out, "My intentions were for us to become more than friends. When I found out that wasn't going to happen, it was too late. I already cared about her and wanted her in my life. Even if it meant we could only be friends."

Lily crossed her arms indignantly, "Wait a minute. You told me you couldn't just be my friend. So how come you could just be Amy's friend?"

"Whoa," Ephram said putting up his hands in defensive, "Where did that come from? I didn't force you to be with me. If you would have said you just wanted to be friends, I would have accepted it eventually. But look at my relationship with Amy. The past year has been a struggle to keep our friendship a float. Is that what you would have wanted?"

"No," Lily responded her voice softening, "It just sounded to me like I would lose our friendship completely if I didn't want more."

Ephram scowled and sat there silently looking straight ahead. Lily shifted uncomfortably on the couch unsure of what to say.

Without turning to her, Ephram spoke, "Well now you know. I will be your friend no matter what. It will take a while and I can't guarantee it will ever be like it was before. But if you want out…" his voice trailed off.

Lily was shocked by his response. Of course she didn't want out. She turned to Ephram whose gaze was still fixed straight ahead. She touched his arm gently, "Ephram, look at me please."

He slowly turned to her, a pained expression on his face.

She caressed his cheek and looked into his emerald eyes, "I want to be with you. I enjoy being with you. I sure as hell don't want out. I just wish you would have been more honest with me."

"I was as honest as I could be at the moment. I wanted more and at that time I didn't think I could just be your friend. But if you would have turned me down, after I left I would have realized I needed to keep you in my life even if it was just as friends. Would that have changed your decision?"

Lily dropped her gaze, her hand still resting on his cheek, "Initially yes, but after I would have had time to think about it, I would have come around. I was and still am so scared to lose our friendship. It's a risk I am not always comfortable with."

Lily returned her gaze to Ephram and smiled, "You make me so happy, Ephram. And I don't regret anything that has happened between us. No matter how scary it is, it's completely worth it." She pulled Ephram's lips to her, as if sealing her statement. He kissed her hard in return. He had been afraid for a second that he was going to lose her and he was now so grateful that he hadn't.

They were interrupted only moments later when the doorbell rang. They reluctantly pulled away. Ephram got up from the couch to answer the front door. And to his surprise on the other side stood a very upset Mrs. Anders.

"Is Lily here?" she asked anxiously.

Ephram nodded and then let her in. Lily jumped up from the couch when she saw her mom. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Mrs. Anders placed her hands on her hips and frowned at her daughter, "I should be asking you the same thing. You're going home right this minute."

Lily didn't move.

Mrs. Anders tapped here foot impatiently, "Now Lily. I already know about your job. So let's go home and talk about it."

Lily crossed her arms in front of her defiantly, "You mean so you can lecture me?"

Mrs. Anders glanced at Ephram and then back at Lily, "We are not going to discuss this here." She said firmly.

Lily gave in and slowly walked over to her mom. She smiled weakly at Ephram and then followed her mom out the door.

The car ride home was eerily silent. Sure it was just 5 minutes long, but the silence was unbearable. Lily wished her mom would just yell at her now and get it over with.

As soon as they got in the house, Mrs. Anders walked over to the couch and sat down. She shook her head in disappointment. "How could you lose your job, Lily? And over something so trivial."

"Can't you at least hear my point of view before you label it as trivial?" Lily snapped, her cheeks beginning to flush with anger.

Her mom sighed, "Fair enough. What's your point of view?"

"These kids from my school were giving me a hard time. They were rude and to top it off they got me in trouble with Mr. Davis. They told him I hadn't given them their pie even though they hadn't ordered it. And he totally got on my case."

"Is it possible you just forgot to write down the pie, since it was a busy night?"

Lily groaned, "Is that what Mr. Davis said?"

"He said you cussed the customers out. Is that true?"

"Yes. But they pissed me off. I know I should have handled it better but I didn't and I'm sorry." She answered exasperated. 

Mrs. Anders threw her hands up dramatically, "Well I'm sorry isn't going to get your job back. And until you can control your temper you are not allowed to get another job."

"Fine," Lily retorted her cheeks burning furiously. 

"And another thing, you should have come straight home instead of going to Ephram's. Do you know how worried I was when Mr. Davis called me and I didn't know where you were? From now on you are to come straight home after school unless you have cleared other plans with me ahead of time. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Lily said biting her tongue. "Is that all?"

Mrs. Anders nodded wearily without looking at her daughter.

Lily turned around and headed to her room. 


	28. Skipping School

*A/N I am so sorry for not updating in a while. I have been super busy. I have written a little bit and I was going to wait to upload this chapter until after I had written more. But I have this huge paper to write for class this week so I will not get to my story until after the weekend. So I figured since I had not updated in a while I would go ahead and put what I had written up. Sorry if it is short. Please let me know if the story is still interesting. Hopefully I will be able to update more after this week is over. Thanks.

Lily was getting her books out of her locker when April approached her. 

"I heard you lost your job. Is that true," April asked getting straight to the point.

Lily closed her locker and looked at April with a frown. "It still amazes me how fast info travels in this town."

April shrugged, "There's nothing else to do but gossip. So I take it the rumor's true."

"Depends on the extent of the rumor. I did lose my job, but probably not how everyone is saying I did." Lily started walking down the hall.

 April fell into step with her, "Some of the cheerleaders were saying you got fired cuz you were not doing your job."

Lily rolled her eyes, "I cussed them out cuz they were being jerks and then I walked out."

April nodded in understanding, "Figures they would twist the facts. Well I'm sorry anyway that you lost your job."

"Thanks. But it's no big loss. I was getting tired of it anyway."

The bell rang signaling the beginning of class. 

"See you at lunch," Lily said and started walking to her classroom.

"Wait," April grabbed her arm, "After school today Wendell is taking me to get my tongue pierced. Come with us."

"Ok," Lily replied before heading to class.

"So I was thinking since I will already be there I should get something pierced too," Lily told Ephram as they walked hand in hand to the cafeteria.

Ephram raised an eyebrow, "What do you want to get pierced?"

"I was thinking my eyebrow or my belly button. What do you think?" Lily asked.

"Either would be cool. But your belly button would be sexier." Ephram paused for a second, "Is your mom cool with this? She seemed pretty pissed last night."

"Probably not," Lily answered honestly, "But I don't care."

Ephram frowned, he was about to protest her going against her mom when three cheerleaders approached them.

They stopped right in front of Lily and Ephram. The shortest girl in the middle glared at Lily before speaking, "You may think you're all bad ass, but you better watch your back."

Lily recognized the girl from Mama Joy's. She cocked an eyebrow at the petite cheerleader. "Why? Are you gonna try to kick my ass or something. Cuz you and your little friends don't scare me."

The girl gasped indignantly. Before she had a chance to respond Lily had already started walking around them. The cheerleader crossed her arms as she watched them walk away.

Lily walked up to April and Wendell at the lunch table and pounded the table with her hands.

April looked up quickly startled by the abrupt noise. She looked at Lily questioningly.

"I want to go now." Lily stated.

April wrinkled her brow, "You mean to the piercing place?"

Lily nodded.

"Why now?" April asked.

Lily stood up straight and sighed, "I just don't want to be here right now."

Ephram frowned. He didn't think this was going to help her win her mom's trust back. But he kept his thoughts to himself.

April turned to Wendell not sure if he would agree to take them now.

Wendell grinned, "Sounds good to me."

"Ok," April said shrugging lazily. "Let's go."

They got up from the table and Wendell finally turned his attention to Ephram, "Hey Brown you coming with us?"

"Um…" Ephram hesitated not sure whether he should or not.

Lily turned to Ephram and held his hands. "I don't think you should go. You have more at stake. Your dad will definitely ground you and you won't be able to see Amy this week. And you two need to hang out."

"Yeah I guess," Ephram said reluctantly.

Lily kissed him quickly, "Besides we don't want your dad to think I'm a bad influence on you. I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun with Amy."

Ephram nodded as Lily let go of his hands and followed April and Wendell out of the cafeteria.

"Nice car," Lily said when she saw Wendell's beat up tan station wagon.

"Hey at least I have a car." He said defending his vehicle.

Lily contained her grin as she opened the back door. 

"Just throw the junk in the back," Wendell told her as he slid into the driver's side.

Lily grabbed a handful of papers and some empty soda cans and threw them in the back.

She sat down gingerly, afraid of what she might sit on.

The minute she had closed the door, Wendell floored the gas and they peeled out of the parking lot.

"Shit Wendell you drive like a maniac," Lily yelled trying to fasten her seatbelt.

April laughed from the front seat. 

"You're not one of those backseat drivers are you," Wendell asked Lily, "Cuz I think you have to actually have a license to be qualified."

"Just drive Wendell," Lily commanded rolling her eyes.

Wendell cringed and turned to face Lily, "I can't watch."

Lily chuckled at his squeamishness, "You're not going to faint are you?"

Wendell covered his face with his hands and shook his head, "I hope not."

"Don't worry it will be well worth it in a few days, once the swelling goes down." 

Lily didn't understand why he was hiding his face. The guy piercing April's tongue was in the way of the action. She couldn't even see April.

Wendell put his hands down, "It will be swollen for days!" he groaned.

Lily raised an eyebrow, "Like you were planning on kissing her anytime soon. By the time you get around to it, her tongue will be fine."

"Are you saying I move too slow?" Wendell asked insulted.

"No. I'm just pointing out the facts."

April walked up to them, "Your turn Lily."

"You aren't talking funny," Wendell pointed out.

"Of course not. It won't swell for at least half an hour." She stuck out her tongue so they could see. Her tongue ring was black with red flames.

"Cool," Wendell responded.

Lily nodded, "I like it. Well I'll be right back." 

April took Lily's chair next to Wendell.

"Does it hurt." He asked her.

"Not really. Just feels weird."

Wendell shook his head, "You're a lot braver than me. I could never get anything pierced."

She chuckled, "Hopefully it will not be swollen on Friday." She turned to see how Lily was doing and didn't notice Wendell blushing at her statement. 

A few minutes later Lily walked over to her friends a smile on her face.

"So let's see," April demanded impatiently.

Lily lifted her shirt just enough for them to see her new belly button ring. It had a red gem on top and a couple cherries dangling from it.

"Ohh that looks so good." April replied.

Wendell nodded fidgeting in his chair, "Can we leave now. This place is giving me the creeps."

Lily and April rolled their eyes in unison and then followed him out of the building. 


	29. Consequences

Ephram sat across from Amy in a booth at Sal's Pizzeria. 

"So how are things going with you and Colin," he asked before biting into his slice of pizza.

She smiled, "Good actually. We hang out now and even have conversations. We haven't talked about getting back together yet. I think he should be the one that brings it up."

Ephram nodded, "I'm glad that things are getting better. He really does care for you."

"That's what I keep telling myself. And it's not like he's dating anyone else. It still hurts though."

"Of course," he empathized.

"What about you and Lily? Are you two doing good?" she took a sip of her coke and watched him thoughtfully. It was kinda strange, them talking about their love lives to each other. She knew it was what friends did, but it made her sad nonetheless. 

Having finished his pizza, Ephram wiped his hands on his napkin and leaned back in the booth. He smiled thinking about Lily, "It's going great. I mean, it's still new, us dating and everything. But we were good friends before and it just feels natural."

She nodded, trying not to show her discomfort. Not only was it strange to hear about Ephram and his new girlfriend, but she didn't like Lily and that made it worse. 

 "I wish you two got along," he said as if reading her mind.

"Maybe someday." She replied, doubting her words even as she spoke them.

Ephram changed the subject, "My dad has been letting me practice driving. And on Saturday I am going to take my driver's test."

"Wow that's awesome. Good luck."

"Thanks. So when are you gonna get your license?"

Amy shrugged, "Who knows. My dad keeps coming up with excuses as to why he can't take me driving. I might just ask my mom. It would be nice to be able to get my license before winter break."

He nodded in agreement. They continued talking and as the night went on, they started feeling more at ease with each other. They were both thankful that for now, things were normal and comfortable.

Lily wrapped her jacket around herself tightly. "Ephram we are going to have to start taking the bus. It is getting too cold to walk to school."

"Hopefully I will get my license on Saturday then I can drive us to school."

Lily cocked her head and threw him a curious look, "A license doesn't equal a car. Unless your dad is going to buy you one this weekend."

"I'm working on that. It is highly possible though. I mean I'm doing good in school and we are getting along a lot better now. Speaking of cars, I see your mom got a new one already."

"Yeah we went last night. Luckily I got home before she did and we left right after that. So she never got the call from the school."

"They'll call again today though." Ephram pointed out.

"Yeah I know. But one day of her not knowing was nice."

"My guess is she doesn't know about your new piercing either."

Lily shook her head, "Nope and I am gonna keep it that way as long as I can."

"When do I get to see your piercing?" Ephram asked grinning slyly.

"Not until we are in the warmth of the school. I am not baring any skin in this weather."

He laughed, "I figured you'd say that."

A few minutes later they were at the school. Wendell and April were waiting for them outside.

They greeted each other and then walked inside together.

April turned to Lily, "How grounded are you?"

"Not at all," Lily replied and then explained what had happened just as she had told Ephram.

Wendell frowned slightly after she finished, "Don't you have an answering machine? I would think the school would have left a message."

Lily smiled, "Somehow the answering machine got turned off before we left."

That caused everyone else to chuckle.

"What do you think of her piercing, Ephram? "April asked.

"I haven't seen it yet." He answered.

April raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Hey it's cold outside." Lily defended herself. She grabbed Ephram's hand, "Come on I'll show you now."

Ephram followed her easily. She led him to her locker and then leaned against it. "Get closer to me so no teachers see. They would make me remove it."

Once he had gotten close Lily unbuttoned her jacket and lifted her shirt just enough for him to see her navel. 

He touched it lightly and then nodded his head in approval, "I like it. It's very sexy."

Lily blushed a little and put her shirt down quickly, "Thanks."

"Thanks for showing me," he said leaning down and kissing her. "I need to get to class. See you later."

"Wait," Lily stopped him, "How did it go with Amy last night?"

He smiled, "Good. And don't worry she didn't hit on me or anything."

Lily returned the smile, "Good to know." 

"Bye," he said once again heading to class.

Lily waved and then turned to her locker to get her books out for class.

Lily was in her room doing her homework when she heard her mom coming up the stairs. By the sound of her footsteps, Lily guessed the school had just called.

"Lily," Mrs. Anders said sternly barging into her daughter's room, "Do you want to guess who I just spoke to?"

Lily put her pen down and turned to face her mom, "Not really."

Mrs. Anders frowned at her daughter's comment, "It was your school. It appears that you decided to leave at lunch and not return. Do you have an explanation?"

Lily shrugged, "Nope."

Mrs. Ander's jaw clenched tightly and she crossed her arms, "Your attitude right now is just getting you in more trouble."

Lily sighed, "Look just give me my punishment so I can get back to my homework."

"So there's no explanation for why you skipped school or where you went?"

"No."

Mrs. Anders shook her head, "I don't know what to say Lily. I am worried about you. First you get fired from your job, then you skip school without an explanation, and now you are completely apathetic to any of it. What is going on with you? I thought things were getting better."

Lily tuned back to her homework, refusing to answer her mom.

By now her mom was furious, "Fine. If you don't want to talk now you don't have to. But you are grounded until you decide to tell me what is going on. That means no phone and no going out. I will take you to school and pick you up everyday. You will wait for me outside the school until I come get you. And you better be damn sure you're waiting outside the school for me to pick you up."

Lily nodded still not looking at her mom.

Mrs. Anders shook her head one more time before turning and walking out of the room.


	30. The Party in the Woods

Lily and Ephram walked hand in hand down the hallway. She could tell he was upset. At lunch she had told April and Wendell that she was going to sneak out of the house to go to the party. The minute the words had spilled out of her mouth, Ephram shot her a disappointed look, but he didn't say anything. She knew he wouldn't approve of her going behind her mother's back. Yet he refused to talk to her about it.

They were almost to her classroom when he finally spoke up. "I'm not going to go to the party tonight."

"Well I am." Lily replied without hesitation.

"Why? Why does this stupid party mean so much to you?" he asked in a harsher tone than he had intended. He had kept his mouth shut the whole week and he couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't understand why she was disobeying her mom on purpose. He thought they had a good relationship. She never even provided an explanation for her odd behavior. 

"It's the principle behind it. I'm trying to prove something to my mom." Lily said as if that explained everything.

"What are you trying to prove? I don't get it." He was thoroughly confused.

They had reached her classroom. 

She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I have to go to class. We can talk about it tonight."

Ephram sighed, "I guess I'll go then, since you're going with or without me."

Lily smiled slightly and then headed into her classroom.

"So this is what it's like to party in the woods." Lily said reaching her hands out to the heat of the bonfire. She couldn't even remember whose idea it was to build a fire, but she was glad they had. She looked at all the couples snuggled up together around the fire. Even Wendell and April were cuddling. Lily turned to Ephram who was poking the fire with a stick.

"How come we aren't making out or something?" she asked catching him off guard.

He turned to her, raising his eyebrows questioningly. "How come you won't tell me what is going on with you and your mom?"

"That's not an answer." Lily said trying to lighten the conversation.

Ephram shook his head and turned back to the fire, "It's my answer."

"So if I tell you what is going on, then you will make out with me? Are you sure you're a teenage boy?"

Ephram couldn't help but smile at her statement. He threw the stick he was holding into the fire and turned to her. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "You know damn well I want to kiss you. But that isn't my top priority. You've been acting different this week. I know it has to do with your mom and I know you're upset about it. What I don't understand is why you won't talk to me? I thought you felt comfortable telling me anything."

"I do." She said quickly, "I just like handling things myself. I'm not the kind of person that tells people my problems. Unless I need help, and right now I don't."

"I'm not here to give advice. Just to listen. I want to know what is going on in your life, because I care about you."

Lily nodded, "Okay I'll tell you. But I'm expecting some major affection afterwards."

Ephram grinned and nodded his head.

"Ok, the thing is my mom, she doesn't trust me. Granted I did runaway in the summer, but before that I was good. And after that summer I was good. That is like the only really bad thing I have ever done, yet she still holds it against me. Now when I mess up even at something little, like losing my temper at Mama Joy's and getting fired, she freaks. And she mistrusts me all over again." She paused and bit her lip. Talking about it was starting to make her mad. She breathed in deeply and then continued, "I don't think what I did this summer was so terrible to warrant all the distrust she has for me. I went to see my father. My whole life she had denied me the chance to meet him. And so when I finally get that chance of course I'm going to take it. I can understand her punishing me for running away and not keeping in contact with her. But I served my time, you know? I have done everything she has told me to, yet she hasn't forgiven me. It's as if she is mad at me for choosing him. And I am just sick and tired of listening to her. If I'm going to be continually punished for something in the past, then why try to please her?"

"So why not tell her how you feel?'  Ephram asked sincerely.

"I will, when I'm ready." She answered snuggling up closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled down at her. "Thanks for telling me."

She smiled back and then pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back willingly, wrapping his arm even tighter around her waist. She could feel the heat radiating from his body and it warmed her better than the fire had. 

Wendell and Ephram sat by the fire while the girls were getting themselves drinks. 

"So you're really over Amy? I can't believe it." Wendell said shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can believe it. We were doomed from the start."

"I always had hope for you two." Wendell replied with a nod. "I don't know much about Lily, but April always has good things to say about her. Speaking of April, she told me you two went out once."

Ephram threw Wendell a surprised look, "She told you that?"

"Is it not true?" Wendell asked.

Ephram shook his head, "No it's true. But it wasn't much of a date. I'm surprised she even mentioned it."

"I had asked how she knew you. Don't worry I'm not jealous or anything." Wendell said with pretend confidence. He stuck his chin out and pinched his shirt. "She's all over this."

Ephram laughed at Wendell's goofiness.

"Should I try to kiss him?" April asked Lily as she poured some beer into her plastic cup. 

Lily glanced at Ephram and Wendell who were talking several feet away. "How is your tongue feeling?"

"Good. But I'm not referring to that. I don't know if we are on a date or not. I don't want to look easy."

Lily smiled at her friend and took a sip of her beer before responding. "Leave it up to him to make the first move."

"That's what I have been doing. But it's so hard. When we were cuddling his face was just inches from mine. And he kept looking at me like he wanted to kiss me." April let out a groan, "Guys are just so damn complicated."

Lily chuckled and nodded in Ephram and Wendell's direction, "Come on. Let's get back to our complicated boys."

Lily and Ephram walked a few feet behind April and Wendell as they headed to the car.

Lily looked up at the night sky, "It's amazing how many stars you can see here. It's so different from the city."

Ephram nodded in agreement, "Yeah. The only stars you see in New York are movie stars."

Lily rolled her eyes, "You're so corny."

"Oh you know you find it sexy." He teased.

"Amongst other things," Lily replied.

Ephram grinned, "What are those other things?"

"Ask me next time we're alone." She answered boldly.

Ephram nodded making a mental note of it. He would definitely ask her again.

"How grounded are you going to be?" he asked changing the subject.

"I think it's safe to say I won't be leaving the house for the rest of the weekend. I seriously doubt I will be able to talk on the phone either. Which totally sucks cuz I won't know if you passed your driving test or not."

"I guess you will have to be in suspense until Monday." He said in a disappointed tone.

"Well good luck," Lily said sincerely. 

Once they reached the car, Lily turned around and kissed Ephram passionately on the lips. 

"Is that my good luck kiss?" he asked beaming.

"Yep and there will be more like that once I find out you passed on Monday."

"What if I don't pass?"

"Well I will have to cheer you up right?" she asked slyly.

"So either way I win? I like how you think."

Lily smiled at him before getting into the car.

As Lily walked up to her house she saw the living room light on. Considering how late it was, there was no doubt in her mind that her mom was waiting up for her. She sighed and headed to the front door. There was no use sneaking back in since her mom had found out already. She slipped her key in the lock and walked in hesitantly. Sure enough her mom was sitting on the couch and she turned to Lily as soon as she heard the door. Lily closed the door behind her, but made no move toward the couch. Her and her mom stared at each other without speaking for what seemed like hours. It reminded Lily of those old western showdowns. She would have laughed at her thought, had the circumstances been different.

Mrs. Anders was the first to break the silence, "I have been sitting here for a couple of hours going over in my head what to say to you once you came home. But in the end I still had no idea what to say." She stopped expecting Lily to say something, but Lily stayed silent. Mrs. Anders shook her head, "So where were you?"

"At a party," Lily answered truthfully, assuming there was no reason to lie.

"What is going on with you? Why won't you talk to me?"

Lily crossed her arms defensively, "Because I don't feel like it. I know I'm punished until I graduate, so can I go to bed now. It's been a long day."

Mrs. Anders stared at her daughter in bewilderment. "You can go to bed. But this discussion isn't over."

Lily turned around and walked quickly up the stairs to her room.


	31. Issues Part 1

Lily dragged herself out of bed Saturday morning. She had woken up over an hour ago, but had stayed in her bed, dreading having to face her mom. She took her time getting ready and finally when she could stall no longer and her stomach was growling furiously, she headed downstairs. She went into the kitchen and saw her mom sitting at the table. She had the newspaper open on the table but she looked up quickly when she heard her daughter enter the kitchen. Lily hurried to the refrigerator, hoping to get something to eat before her inevitable talk with her mom. She grabbed a yogurt and a spoon and leaned against the counter facing her mom. 

"Are you ready to talk," Mrs. Anders asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

Lily shrugged and continued eating.

"Well I am. Do you have any idea how scared I was when I found out you were gone? All of a sudden all the memories from the summer came back to me. I didn't know what to do. I looked in your drawers and closets to see if you had taken any clothes with you, and it appeared that you hadn't so I assumed you would be back. I even called Dr. Brown to ask if you were over there. Of course you weren't, but he told me Ephram had gone out with some friends. So once again I had to assume you were with him. So I sat and waited. I wasn't sure how long to wait before calling the police. Couldn't you have been considerate enough to call me and let me know you were okay? Especially after this summer, didn't you think of how worried I'd be?"

Lily shook her head in disbelief, "How come everything has to go back to this summer? That was months ago. But it seems no matter what I do, you keep punishing me for it. What do I have to do to get you to forgive me?"

"How am I supposed to forgive you with the way you are behaving now?" Mrs. Anders asked her daughter.

"What about all I have done before losing my job? I bent over backward to please you." 

Mrs. Anders looked at her daughter quizzically, "You act as if what you did this summer wasn't a big deal. You ran away for the whole summer with your druggie dad and his druggie friends!!"

Lily's jaw clenched and she glared at her mom, "He's my father! What right do you have to insult him? If anyone is to blame for this summer it's you! You never let me see him! You never even gave me a choice! You decided for me that it would be better if I didn't know my father, just because you didn't like him."

Lily's mom jumped up from her chair, "That is not why I kept him away from you. It's because he did drugs and partied. What kind of a father would he have been to you? I was protecting you."

"Protecting me?! If he was such a loser then how come you fucked him in the first place?"

Mrs. Anders slapped her daughter, "How dare you talk to me that way. I am still your mother."

Lily touched her sore cheek, but stood her ground, "It's true. You choose him and then you punish me for wanting to get to know him. I didn't choose him, but I was willing to give him a chance. Something you never did. You didn't even let him prove he could be a good father." 

Before her mom could defend herself, Lily walked off toward the living room.

Mrs. Anders followed her, "Where do you think you're going?"

Lily opened the front door, "I'm getting the hell out of here."

"Is that how you are going to solve everything, by running away?"

Lily continued out the door without responding to her mom. She slammed the door behind her and started running down the porch. She needed to get away from there as quickly as possible. Tears started falling as she ran. She didn't know where she was going; she let her feet lead her. 

After a while she stopped and caught her breath. She looked around her and realized she had ended up at the park. She walked over to an unoccupied bench and sat down, exhausted. It was chilly outside and she had forgotten a sweater. But it didn't matter because she was hot from running. It felt good to be in the fresh air. She put her head in her hands and continued crying. 

She thought about her dad and the summer she had spent with him. He had been good to her. He always told her how much he loved her and how grateful he was to get to spend time with her. He had apologized for not being there for her. He even talked about her mom. He still loved her, after all those years. 

Lily wiped her tears and leaned against the bench. She missed her dad and she hated the fact that her mom never asked about him. Sure he wasn't perfect, but no parent was and Lily would have been happy to know him anyway. She had always thought if she had known him sooner, she might have been able to save him. His whole life, he had no one that loved him. But she would have loved him enough, and he would have wanted to change for her. Her mom had deprived her of that chance and Lily didn't know if she could ever forgive her for that. 

Lily sat there thinking of where she could go to avoid going home. She thought about going to Ephram's, but her mom would definitely check there, plus eventually she would have to go home. She needed to go somewhere where she could spend the night. 

Lily rang the doorbell hoping someone was home. A minute later the door opened.

"Hey Lily," April greeted opening the door so Lily could come in.

"Hi," Lily replied, "I know it's short notice, but I was wondering if I could stay here tonight."

"What happened?" April asked concerned.

"I had this huge fight with my mom and I don't want to go back there tonight." She explained

April nodded, "Of course you can stay here. My parents are out of town until Tuesday. They went to some couple's retreat. And Wendell is gonna be over in a couple of hours. But I can tell him not come, that's not a problem. We were just gonna watch some movies."

Lily shook her head, "No. Don't change your plans because of me."

"Ok," April agreed, "But you are gonna have to hang out with us then. You need to get your mind off what happened."

Lily nodded in agreement, that sounded good to her.

"Ephram it's Wendell," Dr. Brown said handing the phone to his son.

"What's up?" Ephram asked Wendell.

"Not too much. Actually that's a lie. Lily wants to talk to you, but she didn't want your dad to know she called. Hold up here she is."

Lily got on the phone, "Hey."

"Hey," Ephram greeted her. He headed to his room, so no one could hear his conversation. "Your mom's here. She is worried about you."

"I figured. That's why I had Wendell call."

"Where are you?"

"If I tell you, it needs to remain between us."

"Ok."

"I'm at April's," Lily answered. "I'm gonna stay the night. I just left a message at my house telling my mom I was okay."

"I'm glad you called. We were about to go look for you. Your mom checks her messages every few minutes so I am sure she will check them again before going to look for you. So hopefully that will deter her. Can I come see you?"

"I don't know. I would like for you to, but my mom might get suspicious."

"I'll use my judgment. And if it looks like I can leave without them thinking I'm going to see you, I will."

"Ok it's a plan," Lily said hoping she would be able to see him tonight.

"I'll let you go then, and I'm going to try to make it over there."

"Wait, before you go, did you pass your driver's test?"

Ephram smiled to himself. With all that was going on she still thought to ask him. "I passed," he said happily.

"Awesome. Well I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye," Ephram said hanging up the phone.

*Chapter to be continued*


	32. Issues Part 2

Ephram rang the doorbell shoving his hands into his pockets uncomfortably. He barely knew April, which made him feel uneasy about possibly meeting her parents, especially under the circumstances. Luckily, when the door opened April stood on the other side.

"Hey," Ephram greeted as she opened the door to let him in.

She smiled, "She's in the backyard. The backdoor is straight through the kitchen," She pointed Ephram in the right direction and then walked into the living room. Ephram's gaze followed her and he saw Wendell sitting on the couch. Wendell waved and threw Ephram one of his goofy grins. 

Ephram walked through the kitchen cautiously, afraid of bumping into April's parents. He went out onto the back porch and saw Lily sitting down on a lawn chair, half of a cigarette still burning in between her fingers.

Lily looked up when she heard the door open. Relief flooded over her when she saw Ephram. She stomped her cigarette out and walked over to him. She threw her arms around him and he hugged her tightly.

"Thanks for coming." She whispered into his neck.

He kissed the top of her head, "Of course."

She pulled back and walked over to the porch steps. Ephram sat down next to her. 

"Is my mom at home now?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah," he nodded, "After she heard your message, she immediately went home."

Lily nodded slightly. She was still so angry at her mom, but that didn't change the fact that she loved her. 

"Before you tell me what happened, can I ask one question?" Ephram asked.

"Sure."

"Are April's parent's cool with us being here?"

She grinned, realizing no one had told Ephram that April's parents were out of town, "They're gone until Tuesday."

"Oh ok," he said relieved. "Are you staying until then?"

"No. I'll probably go back tomorrow. I just needed some space."

"I understand. So what exactly happened?" he asked sincerely.

Lily inhaled deeply and then she recounted the events of this morning. After she finished he just sat there letting it all soak in. 

He raised his eyebrows, "Wow. That was a big fight."

She nodded solemnly, "Yeah. After years of hiding my feelings they finally just exploded out of me. I always felt cheated for not getting to know my dad, but I had always assumed he was a total loser, by the way my mom talked about him. So I figured no big loss. But after I met him…he was nothing like what my mom said. The only thing she was right about was the drugs and the partying. He wasn't stoned all the time though; he only did that stuff at parties. He even had a job. Nothing major, he just worked as a cashier at a local record store. It wasn't much, but it was a job. We talked a lot that summer. He told me about his parents who had basically disowned him when he got my mom pregnant. He hadn't spoken to them since then. He had a brother who was three years older than him, but he died when my dad was sixteen. He told me that my mom was the only person who understood him. He had these letters she had written him in high school. He had kept them all these years. I still have them. They are so sweet…It's just so weird that she could have gone from loving him so much to not even wanting to talk about him." Lily felt a lump start to rise in her throat as she thought about her dad. "No one loved him, Ephram. And then everyone blames him for numbing his pain with drugs. Shit I probably would have done the same thing."

He shook his head, "And your mom never asks what happened in the summer?"

"No. Never."

She could feel the tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her chest and let them fall. She was tired of hiding her feelings. Ephram slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

"Maybe you should just tell her. Make her listen." He suggested.

"Maybe," she murmured softly. 

She let him hold her as they sat there quietly. So many thoughts were racing through her head that she couldn't seem to get them all organized. Her emotions were all jumbled up and her life was one chaotic mess. The ghosts of the summer haunted her and screwed up all the success and happiness she had finally achieved. Her heart ached for all she had lost. She had numbed her pain for as long as she could and it had come back with a vengeance. She let Ephram comfort her the best he could, but he couldn't ease all her pain. No one could. 

_"Dad, dad, where are you?" She grabbed some man's arm. "Have you seen my dad?"_

_The man smiled at her, baring all his rotting teeth, "No," he hissed. _

_She ran from the man and through the thick crowd of people, searching. She had been through the whole house and he was nowhere to be seen. She rushed through the backdoor hoping to find him outside. _

_"Dad?" she called her voice breaking the silence of the night. It was so black outside she could barley see in front of her. _

_She heard a weak voice cry out, "Help me."_

_She ran through the darkness and into an open field. There was a sliver of moonlight, just enough for her to see the figure of a person lying crumpled in the field. She rushed over, knowing it was her dad. She kneeled down beside him. He was bleeding all over the field. She took off her jacket and tried to wipe off the blood. _

_"He's going to die," said a female voice._

_She looked up and saw her mom standing over her dad. She had a gun in her hand and she pointed it at him. "Mine as well end his pathetic life now." She said as if she were talking about an animal and not a human being._

_"NO!!" Lily screamed, but her mom just laughed at her and continued to point the gun at her dad. "It's better this way," she shrieked._

Lily jolted out of bed, sweat soaking through her clothes. She caught her breathe and then looked around her. It took her a second to remember she was at April's house in her bed. She wiped the sweat off her face and got out of bed. She was wide awake now. So she walked downstairs and headed out the backdoor. The cool air felt good against her burning skin. She sat there letting her thoughts wander. She didn't end up going back into the house until she saw the pink of the sunrise start to creep into the sky.


	33. January

*A/N I'm back. I have started writing on my story again. Sorry if this chapter is short. My story might get a little sad, but I am hoping that won't last too long. Please let me know what you think. It seems to be heading in a different direction, but I am happy with it. It's weird how you start writing a story and eventually it goes in whatever direction it wants. Thanks for all the reviews. 

Ephram looked over at Lily who was fiddling with the necklace he had gotten her for Christmas. It was a pearl sun pendant on a leather chain that he had found in a small jewelry shop right outside of Everwood. She was staring out the window of the car deep in thought. Ever since October she had moments where she would just space out. It was pointless to talk to her then, because she was a million miles away. Things had never really gotten completely better between her and her mom. Although they were speaking to each other, there was so much that wasn't being said. Lily never pushed her mom to talk about the summer and they basically bottled everything up again. Ephram tried to convince Lily to talk to her mom, but she refused. Eventually he gave up trying. 

Ephram turned his attention back to the road. They were on their way to school in Ephram's new car that he had gotten from his dad for Christmas. It was a black Volvo S40. His dad picked it out himself based on how safe it was. It wouldn't have been Ephram's first choice, but it was a cool looking car and it was his so he couldn't complain.

School had been in session for two weeks now and everything seemed to be going smoother than before the break. Amy and Colin had gotten back together after Thanksgiving. Wendell and April were now a couple and seemed to be happy together. As for Lily and Ephram, they were doing okay. Their relationship was still great, but Lily seemed so distant at times. She was a lot less reliable too; she would break dates at the last minute for no reason at all. Later she would shrug and say she was tired, or sick, or just didn't feel like going out. She was writing more and she brought her notebook everywhere. When she wasn't spaced out she was usually writing something in her notebook. They weren't talking as much as they used to and they definitely weren't kissing as much. Ephram loved her so much, but he was only human. Sometimes he found himself flirting with other girls whenever she wasn't with him, which was most of the time now. He felt so guilty, but he also felt so trapped. She wasn't opening up to him like she used to. She had become so different. 

Ephram pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. He could see Wendell and April in the distance waiting for them outside the school. It was freezing outside, yet they refused to wait inside the school. They got out of the car and started walking toward their friends. Lily reached for Ephram's hand and he took this as a gesture that she was feeling okay.

"Are you ready for the weekend?" he asked hoping that she wouldn't bail on him like she had last weekend.

"Yeah. I think so." She said nodding her head. 

All of a sudden they heard a loud thud as a snowball hit Ephram squarely in the chest. They both looked up to see Wendell a few yards away with an evil grin on his face. Ephram immediately picked up a handful of snow and made a snowball. He threw it as far as he could trying to hit Wendell, but it ended up hitting April on the shoulder. The next thing they knew they were having a major snowball fight in the middle of the parking lot. It was every man for themselves and snowballs flew every which way. Strangers were getting hit and joining in on the fun. Even Lily was participating. By the time the bell rang there were over thirty kids involved.

Lily ran up to Ephram, her cheeks and nose pink from the cold. 

"I got you good," he teased wrapping his arms around her.

"Don't worry I'll get you back when you least expect it."

He laughed and kissed the tip of her frozen nose.

"Get a room," Wendell said punching Ephram in the arm.

"Look whose talking. You and April are the PDA champions."

Lily nodded in agreement. "If only there was an award for that."

Ephram smiled to himself as they walked into the school. It always made him feel good whenever Lily acted like her old self.


	34. Enter Amber

A/N A while back I asked if anyone wanted to submit a poem for my story and no one responded. I just wanted to update and let you know I will be using that poem soon. So if you have a poem please email it to me. Thanks.

Lily sat on her couch squashed between Ephram and April watching some movie about a killer running around killing cheerleaders or something like that. She wasn't paying much attention. Ephram had decided that they should all watch a movie at her house since her mom was on a date with David. She knew the real reason they were at her house; so she couldn't back out. She knew it frustrated Ephram when she canceled plans, but it was so peaceful when she had the house to herself. Plus, it was the only time she could go through her mom's stuff. She was looking for anything that could give her more information about her dad. But so far she hadn't found anything. It was probably useless seeing as how her mom probably destroyed everything that related to her dad. She wasn't going to give up though, until she had checked every inch of the house. Whatever it took, she was willing to do.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH" April's scream shook Lily back to reality. She turned to her friend wondering why she was screaming.

April had her hand over her heart, "That scared the shit out of me. When that guy jumped from the closet like that. Didn't it scare you Lily?"

Lily looked at her quizzically before remembering they were watching a scary movie, "Uh..I..I don't get scared that easy," she lied. From the corner of her eye she saw Ephram watching her so she turned to the T.V. attempting to focus on the movie. Lately it was harder to focus on anything other than her quest to learn more about her dad. It was as if she was in a tunnel and all she saw was her father. She realized how much she was neglecting everything else in her life. But she owed it to her dad and to herself to find out who he was.

_(Next Scene)_

Another week had passed and nothing had gotten better between Ephram and Lily. She had canceled their plans again tonight so Ephram had resigned himself to sitting in front of the T.V. He flipped through the channels not really watching anything. He wished he could stop thinking about her for just a moment. But all he could do was think about her. He wrestled with his feelings, trying to remember why he stayed in the relationship. He loved her, but he didn't know if she still loved him. If she did, wouldn't she open up and tell him what was going on. The doorbell rang and he sighed before getting up from the couch. As he was about to open the door, Delia rushed down the stairs and ran to open the door herself.

"It's for me," she said before opening the door.

Ephram shrugged heading back to his spot on the couch. He got lost in his thoughts, completely oblivious to Delia and her friends until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and Delia was shaking him. "Don't be rude."

He raised his eyebrows and then his eyes trailed to the little girl standing beside Delia and then to the not so little girl standing next to her. The older girl looked about his age, but Ephram couldn't recall seeing her at school. She was a petite girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. She had a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and he could see a faint dimple on her left cheek as she stood there smiling at him. She wasn't gorgeous, but she was definitely cute.

Delia continued, "This is my friend Savanna and her sister Amber."

Savanna smiled politely and Amber extended her hand to Ephram. He got up quickly and shook her hand, "I'm Ephram," he furrowed his brow, "I haven't seen you at the high school."

Amber nodded, "I'm home schooled. My parents distrust all public high schools."

Savanna tugged on her sister's hand, "Can we go now? The movie is going to start soon."

"Yes, we're just about to leave," Amber turned to Ephram, "You can join us if you'd like, unless of course you're going out with your girlfriend tonight."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, "Um...no. She canceled."

"So you in or not? We're seeing Cheaper by the Dozen. Not my choice," she said nodding her head in her sister's direction, "It would suck less if you were there."

Ephram hesitated for a second. He wasn't sure if he should go out with another girl. Sure it wasn't a date, but…what the hell. Lily had canceled on him and he needed a break from all the drama.

He nodded, "Ok. I'll join you."

Amber smiled and they all headed out the door.


	35. GoodBye

*A/N Thank you to all the people who have continued to review my story. Your support is awesome. 

The bell over the door of Sal's Pizzeria jingled and once again Ephram looked up seeing if it was Lily. He was sitting in a booth with Amber and Delia and Savanna were sitting across from them.

"Are you expecting someone," Amber asked raising her eyebrows at Ephram.

He shook his head, "Nah, I just…"

"He's looking for his girlfriend Lily," Delia cut in emphasizing the word girlfriend.

"No, I just like watching people," he lied defensively.

Delia rolled her eyes, knowing he wasn't telling the truth. She turned to Amber, "You need to meet Lily. She is so cool and so pretty."

"Really?" Amber asked probing Delia to tell her more about the girlfriend Ephram had only mentioned briefly before leaving his house. 

"Yep," Delia nodded ignoring the annoyed look Ephram threw at her, "And Ephram and her have so much in common. She grew up in Denver and we grew up in New York and they are both cities."

Amber chuckled, "I guess I can see how that might be important to some people."

"We have more in common than that," Ephram interjected defending his relationship.

"So you finally speak of her. For a while I thought you had forgotten about her," Amber said with a smirk on her face.

"Of course I didn't forget about her."

Satisfied that her brother had defended Lily, Delia decided it was okay to change the subject, "Wasn't that movie awesome," she asked turning to her friend.

Savanna nodded, her eyes lighting up, "I so love Hilary Duff. She is the coolest."

Amber stuck her finger in her mouth pretending to gag. 

Ephram laughed slightly, "I take it you don't agree."

Amber shook her head without hesitation, "That movie was so…ugh…corny."

Savanna stuck her tongue out at her sister, "Shut up."

Ephram leaned back and stretched his arm on the back of the booth, finally starting to be able to get comfortable. Amber turned and smiled at him. She was so close he could practically count the freckles across her nose. He hadn't meant for his gesture to be taken as an advance. He got so flustered having her close to him that he didn't hear the bell above the door ring. 

Wendell ran into April who had stopped abruptly at the door. 

"What the hell," he muttered.

The next thing he knew she was dragging him and his growling stomach out of Sal's Pizzeria and back to his car.

Lily sat on the couch staring at the blank T.V. Her mom had gone out with David again and wouldn't be back for at least a couple of hours. Lily had finished going through the rest of the house a half hour ago and hadn't found anything about her dad. She was so exhausted that all she could do was sit on the couch. She was so sure she would find something, but it was now evident her mom had washed her hands of her dad. She probably would have sat on the couch for the rest of the night, but the sound of the doorbell forced her to get up. She knew it was Ephram and she was actually kinda glad. It had started to get extremely lonely in that big house all by herself.

"Hey," Lily said after answering the front door, but then realized it wasn't Ephram.

April stood on the other side, her face flustered as if she had ran all the way to Lily's house.

Lily opened the door quickly, concerned for her friend, "What's wrong April?"

April walked in closing the door behind her, "Why didn't you tell me Lily? I know this must be so hard?" She rushed over and hugged Lily.

Lily pulled away and put her hands on April's shoulders, "What are you talking about? You're not making sense."

"You and Ephram breaking up. I knew you were having some issues, but I didn't think they were bad enough to break up over. And then he's moved on so…"

Lily interrupted, "Ephram and I haven't broken up. What makes you think we have?"

April's eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip nervously, "I…I'm so sorry Lily." She hesitated feeling guilty for having to be the one to tell her. "I saw Ephram. He was with another girl. I just assumed you had broken up. If I would have known…" she trailed off seeing the look on Lily's face.

They stood there for a minute, neither of them speaking. Lily blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill out. She walked over to the couch and sat down. "I want you to tell me everything you saw."

April nodded and sat beside Lily. Then she began, explaining everything she knew.

Amber pulled into Dr. Brown's driveway and cut the engine. "Savanna and I can walk you guys to the door."

"It's ok. We'll make it." Ephram answered quickly getting out of the car. 

He was almost out when Amber grabbed his arm, "I had fun tonight. We should do it again. Maybe without our sisters."

Delia scowled at Amber before getting out of the car. She grabbed Ephram's other hand, "Come on it's cold out here."

Ephram finished getting out of the car and Delia closed his door. She lead him to the house before he could even respond to Amber. Which was probably for the best considering he didn't even know what he would have said.

When they got into the house the first person he saw was Lily who was sitting at the kitchen table. Hearing the door open, Dr. Brown emerged from behind the refrigerator and smiled at his children. "Lily's here to see you, Ephram."

Ephram nodded and walked over to her. Delia shook her head before walking over to her dad to tell him about the movie. 

Ephram was about to sit down when Lily put her hand up. "No, we should talk outside." 

He wrinkled his forehead, but followed her out the front door.

He sat down on the porch swing starting to feel nervous, "Wanna sit down," he asked patting the space next to him.

Lily shook her head. She leaned against the railing facing him, "I'm not going to beat around the bush." She sighed and then continued, "I think we need a break."

"What?" Ephram asked jumping up from the swing. He stood right in front of her looking into her eyes, "Why?"

Lily resisted the urge to look away and kept his gaze so he would know she was serious, "I know I haven't been the best girlfriend lately and I think we should break up until I get my shit worked out. You deserve to be treated better."

"No," he protested, "We can work it out."

Lily cleared her throat as tears started welling up in her eyes, "If we continue this way we will not only ruin our relationship but our friendship as well. I don't want that. After I get things under control, we can try to go out again, unless of course you find someone else"

Ephram shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat, "I don't want to lose you."

"We need this and you know it."

He nodded very slightly, knowing she was right. "I will wait forever," He said grabbing her head and bringing his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him back with all her heart. Then just as quickly, she pulled back and turned away from him. The tears were starting to flow. She had to leave before she was unable to. Slowly she walked down the porch stairs. She could feel his eyes on her, but he didn't stop her. Finally, she couldn't take being there anymore and she ran the rest of the way home.


	36. Monday

Monday came too quickly and Ephram found himself dreading the new school day and seeing Lily. He hadn't seen or spoken to her since Friday night. April had called him Sunday evening to inform him that Lily would be riding with Wendell and her to school for a while.

Ephram sighed before getting out of his car and heading to the school. As usual Wendell and April were waiting for him outside the school, but Lily was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey" he greeted walking up to his friends.

"Hey," Wendell greeted taking a remorseful looking April by the hand and leading the way inside.

Ephram trailed behind keeping an eye out for Lily. He didn't see her though, not even when they passed her locker. He found it odd that they use to see each other practically every minute of everyday at school, and now it was as if she had transferred schools or something.

"See you at lunch," April said turning to Ephram.

He looked up having been jolted from his thoughts, "Yeah, okay."

April had a concerned look on her face and was about to say something but thought better of it. Instead she just smiled at him slightly before walking with Wendell down the hall. Ephram shook his head as he opened his locker. _This is gonna be a great day!_ he thought bitterly.

(_Next Scene_)

Ephram looked up as Lily entered the English class they shared. They caught each other's eye for a second before she looked away quickly and took her seat.

Mr. Rodgers walked to the front of the class, "Okay I want everyone to get into their groups and continue their peer essay evaluations. Today is the last day, so make sure if you don't finish in class you meet after class and get the assignment done. It is due first thing tomorrow morning."

Ephram groaned inwardly, he had completely forgotten about the assignment and of course he had picked Lily as his partner. This was definitely one of those, 'if I had known then what I know now' kind of moments.

Lily turned around in her desk and handed him her essay, "Let's try to finish in class."

He nodded, "Yeah. That's cool."

And those were the only words they exchanged throughout the entire class period.

_(Next Scene)_

"This sucks," April complained picking at her food.

Ephram looked up from his own untouched lunch and April continued, "So now Wendell and I have to choose between you and Lily. That is so unfair. We didn't break up with either of you!"

Ephram shrugged.

"Doesn't it even bother you? Or are you too involved with this new girl to give a shit." April asked angrily.

Wendell put his hand on her shoulder, "Let's just drop it."

Ephram met April's fiery gaze, "Of course I give a shit. But what the hell am I supposed to do. I have her for English class and she barely spoke three words to me. She's the one that broke up with me. Or did you forget that?"

"Oh I didn't forget. It was a damn good reason. Next time you cheat on your girlfriend try taking her outside of Everwood."

He raised his eyebrows in shock, "What are you talking about. I didn't cheat on Lily. That's not why she broke up with me. Is that what she told you?"

Now April was the one confused, "I don't understand. I thought…"she bit her lip.

"Well?" Ephram asked in an annoyed voice.

"I saw you, at Sal's. You were with this girl and you had your hand on her shoulder. So I told Lily. So I just assumed she told you."

"What?" Ephram said getting up from the table, "I was not on a date. That was Delia's friend's sister and we all went out together. Shit is that why she broke up with me? She never mentioned it. I've got to talk to her."

April watched him walk away shaking her head, "This is so screwed up."

Wendell put his arm around her and kissed her on the head, "It'll work out eventually," he reassured her.

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram ran down the hall and towards the library. He had already checked outside under their tree, but she wasn't there. He figured she wouldn't be there considering it was snowing outside, but he needed to be sure. The library was the only other place he could think of. He walked in and started looking for her. After a few minutes he found her in a corner curled up in one of the chairs, her notebook open in her lap. She was busy writing and didn't even notice him. _Just like the first time I walked up to her, _he reminisced sadly.

"Hey," he said softly laying his hand on her shoulder. She jumped at his touch and looked up surprised to see him.

"Hey," she responded watching him curiously.

He sat down on the arm of the chair and took a deep breath before talking, "Why didn't you tell me you thought I was cheating on you."

"Because I didn't think it." She replied closing her notebook.

"But April said…"

"I know what April said," she interrupted, "She told me what she saw. But I knew there was probably an explanation. I know you would never do that."

"Then how come you broke up with me that same day? Just a coincidence?" he asked putting her on the spot.

Lily sighed, a pained expression on her face, "After April told me, it hit me how neglectful I was being. Sure you weren't cheating on me, but that should have been me sitting next to you at Sal's. You have a girlfriend yet you spend most weekends home alone. That's not right. You are so awesome Ephram, and if there is a girl out there who is gonna treat you the way you deserve, then it's not fair of me to hold you back."

"I thought you said once you got your shit straightened out we would get back together?"

Lily nodded, "That's what I want. But if you find someone before that happens, you need to take the opportunity. Don't worry about us. I promise you won't lose me, even if it's just as a friend. It's just so hard right now. But with time…"

"How much time?" Ephram interrupted, "You are being so vague. I am still unsure of what is going on with you."

"I know," she said sincerely, "I just want to handle it myself."

"How's that working out?" he asked a little too harshly.

Lily stared at him without answering.

Ephram got up from the chair abruptly, "See you around." He turned to go not being able to look at the hurt on Lily's face any longer.


	37. The Storm

*A/N For some reason it is not letting me put spaces in between each scene and so I am going to denote a new scene with the symbol ***. Sorry if it makes it harder to read. Hopefully the next chapter won't be like that.

***

"Honey…can you hear me?" Mrs. Anders asked through the static.

"Barely," Lily responded.

"The storm here is bad. I am going to have to stay overnight at David's. It's headed…."

"Mom…mom…I can't hear you."

"…pick you up. I don't want you staying alone. I will try to…"

"Mom," Lily called into the phone, but was interrupted by a dial tone. "Damn it," she cursed slamming down the phone. She walked to the window and looked outside. The snow was falling steady and there was already at least 6 inches on the ground. 

***

"I can barely see," Ephram said as he turned the defroster of his car on full blast. 

The snow was falling down pretty hard by now. Amber was in the passenger's seat. She had dropped Delia off earlier from spending the night. Ephram and her started talking and she asked him if he wanted to hang out. He agreed and they decided to rent some movies. He figured if they hung out at his place she wouldn't mistake it for a date. Because it wasn't a date. Sure he was spending a Saturday evening with a girl he barely knew, but he refused to call it a date. He still loved Lily. They had only been a part a week and he already missed her so much.

***

Lily jumped when she heard the doorbell. She had been lost in her thoughts and was startled back to reality. She was surprised when she opened the door and saw Dr. Brown on the other side. 

"Hi Dr. Brown. My mom's not home. The storm has her stuck in Denver for the night."

"I know," Dr. Brown said smiling, "I came to pick you up. Are you packed?"

"Packed for what?" she asked baffled. She opened the door letting Dr. Brown in to explain further.

"To stay at my house. Your mom doesn't want you to stay here alone in this storm. It's headed this way and will be here in an hour or maybe even less. Didn't your mom tell you?"

Lily shook her head, "She called, but the static was so bad I couldn't hear her and then it cut off. So how long am I supposed to stay with you?"

"Just over night, until the storm passes and your mom can get back here."

Lily hesitated, trying to think of a way to get out of spending the night at the Brown's house. 

"Well you better go pack," Dr. Brown directed.

Finally, after not being able to come up with any excuses she blurted out the truth, "But it's gonna be so weird with Ephram."

Dr. Brown nodded slightly in understanding, "I know, but your safety is the top priority. If it makes you feel any better it will be weird for him too."

Lily gave a small smile at Dr. Brown's attempt to make her feel better, "I'll be back in a sec," she said heading upstairs to pack. 

***

Dr. Brown looked up as the front door opened. He sighed a sigh of relief when he saw Ephram walk in. "I was worried about you. The storm is really starting to pick up."

"Tell me about it," he responded sarcastically as he hung his coat up. He took Amber's coat and hung it up too. 

That's when Dr. Brown noticed her. "Ephram will you come here for a second."

"What is it," he asked slightly annoyed.

Once his son had gotten into the kitchen Dr. Brown lowered his voice. "Isn't that Delia's friend's sister?"

"Yeah"

"Is she going to go home before the storm gets bad?"

"Dad, the storm is already getting bad. There is no way she could make it home now. She will have to stay until it lets up. Besides we rented movies."

"There is something you should know son…" Before Dr. Brown could finish he saw Ephram's eyes widen. Dr. Brown turned around knowing Lily would be behind him, "Lily will be staying over." He turned back to his son, "Her mom is stuck in Denver and doesn't want her to stay alone in the storm."

Lily glanced at Ephram and then at Amber who was standing by the front door watching everyone else. "Can I try calling my mom," Lily asked Dr. Brown.

"Of course. You don't have to ask." 

"Thanks," Lily answered walking over to the phone. 

Ephram turned and frowned at his dad when she was out of earshot, "This is just great dad," he hissed. "Not only is my ex-girlfriend spending the night at my house, but I have another girl over to hang out. Thanks so much!"

"I was just doing a friend a favor. How was I supposed to know you were going to bring a girl over?" Dr. Brown hissed back.

Ephram groaned and headed over to Amber to explain the very awkward situation.

***

"Dinner's ready," Dr. Brown said walking into Delia's room. 

Lily and Delia looked up from their game of clue just as the lights flickered. They had been flickering all night but had somehow managed to stay on. The storm was really bad now.  The wind was howling outside like a ban chi. 

"Good I'm hungry," Delia responded. She grabbed Lily's hand and they followed Dr. Brown down the stairs. As they walked Delia looked up at Lily with her big brown eyes and smiled, "Thank you for playing with me. I am having so much fun."

Lily squeezed Delia's hand lightly and smiled down at her, "Thank you. I've had fun too." And she meant it. She was able to stay upstairs with Delia and not have to see Ephram and that girl together. It was like a punch in the stomach whenever she saw them or even thought about them downstairs together. Lily felt a lump in her throat when she got to the kitchen and saw Ephram and Amber setting the table together. She swallowed the lump and forged ahead, maintaining her cool. 

***

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Lily sat there quietly only speaking when spoken to. Dr. Brown talked the most as if trying to alleviate the tension. But it was so thick Lily felt as if she were suffocating. She was keenly aware of the fact that Ephram was sitting right across from her. She sat as still as she could hoping to not brush her leg against his or something else that would make this moment any weirder than it already was. 

The lights flickered again and Dr. Brown sighed, "It looks like we will all be staying in tonight. After dinner Amber you are going to have to call your parents. It doesn't look like this storm is going to let up tonight and I don't want you going home in this weather."

Lily looked up in shock. She hadn't even thought about Amber being able to get home in the snow. Apparently neither had Ephram, because his face registered shock.

Amber nodded responding to Dr. Brown, "Ok."

Lily's gaze fell on Amber and she saw a small smile form on the corner of her mouth. Her heart dropped and she quickly turned back to her dinner.

***

Ephram helped his dad clear the table as Amber called her parents. Lily and Delia had headed back upstairs after dinner. 

Ephram kept his voice low so only his dad could hear, "How is this supposed to work? Where is everyone going to sleep?"

Before Dr. Brown could answer the lights flickered and then went out.

"Perfect, just perfect," Ephram grumbled.

***

Everyone gathered in the living room on Dr. Brown's request. He wanted to be able to keep track of everybody. The fireplace was lit to provide heat. Every candle Dr. Brown could find was lit and placed in candle holders on the coffee table. 

Lily was sitting in the recliner, a blanket wrapped around her for comfort more than for warmth. Delia had brought her sleeping bag down and was lying on the floor. Dr. Brown, Ephram and Amber were sitting on the couch. It was so quiet that Lily could hear the crackling of the fireplace in the other room. She watched the flames of the candles burn softly. Sitting in the chair all by herself watching the candles, everyone else began to melt away. She felt relaxed for the first time that night and she smiled to herself. 

All of a sudden she was jolted from her thoughts by Delia's voice, "I'm bored."

"That's what's wrong with your generation. You are too reliant on electricity." Dr. Brown replied. "There has got to be something for you to do that doesn't require electricity." 

"Not really," Delia answered obviously annoyed. 

Dr. Brown grabbed the flashlight that was sitting on the floor and got up, "Come on Delia, Let's go find something for you to do."

Delia got up reluctantly, "There won't be anything."

"Sure there will," her father replied confidently as he led Delia upstairs.

Ephram watched his dad and Delia leave and was very aware of how uncomfortable the situation has just gotten for him. He cleared his throat in an attempt to break the silence, "So…does anyone know any games we can play by candlelight?"

"My family and I tell ghost stories whenever the lights go out," Amber responded.

Ephram nodded, "Sounds like an idea. I bet my dad knows some good ones. What do you think Lily?"

Lily looked up surprised that Ephram was even talking to her, "Um…sure whatever."

"What does your family do?" Amber asked Lily.

"You mean when the lights go out?"

Amber nodded.

"I…I don't remember." She stammered wishing they would just go back to ignoring her like before.

Just then Delia and Dr. Brown emerged with coloring books, crayons, and drawing paper in hand. 

Dr. Brown set a candle down so Delia could see to color and then he returned to the couch.

"Dr. Brown?" Amber said.

"Yes?"

"Do you know any scary stories you can tell us?"

"Do I know any scary stories?! Why of course I do. But they might give you nightmares."

Amber shook her head, "No way. Tell us."

Ephram nodded in agreement. Even Lily found herself nodding her head, eager to hear whatever stories Dr. Brown had. That was all the encouragement he needed, and so he began telling his stories.


	38. The Storm part 2

Dr. Brown lowered his voice so as not to wake Delia who had fallen asleep a half hour ago. "Are you ready for my scariest story?"

"Scariest?!" Amber asked, "Scarier than the ones you already told? Is that possible?"

Dr. Brown nodded smiling. "Now that Delia is asleep I can tell the story I have wanted to tell all night. It's guaranteed to make your skin crawl."

Lily, Ephram and Amber got silent anxiously waiting for Dr. Brown to begin talking. By now most of the candles had burned down and only a couple remained, giving the living room an eerie glow.

Dr. Brown turned to Lily, "Do you mind if we trade places? Good story tellers need to be in view of their entire audience. Plus it adds a nice effect to my story telling."

Lily nodded, "Sure."

She got up bringing her blanket with her and took Dr. Brown's spot next to Ephram. She curled on the couch and wrapped the blanket on herself, trying not to notice how close Ephram was. 

Dr. Brown leaned forward in his chair and began telling his story. "This is a true story that took place my first year in medical school. I was doing my clinicals at New York Memorial Hospital. I had only been at the Hospital for about a month and had always worked the day shift. One of the other med students who was on the night shift had to do something this particular night so we traded shifts. My shift that night was from 7pm-7am. 

Everything was going good for the first several hours. I was working on the cardiac ward. Which was pretty quiet that late at night. I ended up having a lot of down time so the cardiac doctor, Dr. Tomack, suggested I wander around to see if any other ward needed my help. It was about 11pm by this time. I agreed and was on my way. I was not yet familiar with the hospital so I took this as a chance to better acquaint myself with the layout. I wandered around each floor asking the staff if they needed help. It was obviously a slow night therefore no one needed my assistance. I wandered the halls observing what little activity was around me. I had been walking through the hospital for almost two hours when I came to the intensive care unit. I went straight to the nurses' station to ask if they needed any help. I was talking to one of the nurses when someone's loud sobbing interrupted us. I decided to check it out and so I followed the sobbing to the lobby. I walked into the dimly lit lobby and saw a man bent over in a chair sobbing into his lap. I walked up to him and gently put my hand on his shoulder. 'Are you okay, sir?' I asked. He slowly lifted his head and stared at me with the most solemn pale expression I had ever seen. He shook his head violently, but did not speak. I assumed he had just lost someone in the I.C. unit, so I sat beside him and tried to comfort him. But nothing I said seemed to help and he wailed and sobbed throughout my stay. Finally having exhausted all my comforting words, I got up and gave him one last pat on the shoulder; 'I'm sorry' was all I could manage to say before I left. I don't know if he even heard anything I had said. 

I continued my tour of the hospital, but my mind was still on that poor sad man. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. I ended up in a weakly lit hallway. I hadn't remembered passing a nurse's station, therefore I had no idea which wing of the hospital I was in. All of a sudden I heard a familiar sobbing coming from down the hallway. I rushed to the sound, knowing it would be the man I have met earlier. I didn't see him, but I followed the sound of his sobbing. I came to a door at the end of the hallway and could tell the noise was coming from the other side. Without looking at what the sign on the door said I entered in a hurry. The smell that assaulted my nostrils as soon as I entered the room told me where I was right away. I was in the morgue of the hospital. I wondered how come the man had chosen this room. I saw him standing over by the autopsy table where a dead body was laid out. He was still sobbing just as loud and didn't even notice I was in the room. I walked up to him, with the intent of steering him out of the morgue. 'Sir,' I called out walking slowly toward him as not to startle him. He didn't make a move so I continued walking toward him. When I reached him I was about to place my hand on his shoulder when I noticed the body lying on the autopsy table. I lost my breath and was shocked too much to move; for lying right there as dead as could be was the man standing next to me sobbing."

Dr. Brown stopped talking and watched the shocked faces of his audience.

"So what did you do?" Amber asked eagerly.

"I did what any sane person would have done. I stood still for what seemed like hours before I bolted from the room. I ran all the way to the cardiac unit without stopping."

"Did that really happen?" Ephram asked in amazement of his father's story.

"Sure did," Dr. Brown nodded getting up from the chair, "On that note I think it's time to retire for the night. Ephram you're with me, Lily and Amber you can both sleep in Ephram's room. Now I'm going to take Delia to her room."

Dr. Brown proceeded to carefully pick Delia up. "Ephram, will you hand me the flashlight?"  
Ephram nodded and brought the flashlight to his dad.

"Thank you," Dr. Brown said heading to the stairs with Delia in his arms.

Lily got up from the couch and grabbed the last two candles that were still burning. She handed one of them to Ephram without saying a word.

Lily started walking away when she heard Amber call to her, "Wait up. We're going to the same place."

Lily kept walking, "Ephram can walk with you," she responded without turning around.

Amber turned to Ephram, "Why do I get the feeling she doesn't like me?"

Ephram sighed, "Come on, I'll take you upstairs."

***

"Here's my room," Ephram led Amber into his room. He went to his dresser to get some clothes to sleep in. It hit him that Amber didn't have a change of clothes for bed. "Do you need anything to wear to bed?"

She looked down at her pale purple angora sweater and blue jeans, "Just a t-shirt would be good."

As Ephram was getting her a t-shirt, Lily walked in with her duck p.j.'s on. Ephram stifled a grin. The whole situation seemed funny after seeing her in her cute p.j.'s. He handed Amber the t-shirt and then walked over to Lily. "She needs to change real quick. Why don't we wait in the hallway?"

Lily shrugged, placing her candle on the nightstand for Amber. She followed Ephram out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"This is really weird isn't it?" he asked turning to face Lily.

She nodded in agreement.

"So are you just never going to talk to me again?" he asked in an offensive tone.

"I've talked to you," she argued defensively.

"Yeah, about ten words this whole week. Hell, we've been stuck in the same house for the past six hours, yet you have still managed to not talk to me."

Just then Ephram's door opened, "I'm done," Amber informed them.

"OK," Lily responded closing the door again. She turned back to Ephram, "This whole situation is so damn weird that I am at a loss as to what to say or do."

"So am I. But ignoring me isn't going to help."

Lily rubbed her forehead and sighed, "Can we talk about this tomorrow, when your new girlfriend isn't in the next room?"  

"She is not my girlfriend. You just broke up with me a week ago. Do you really think I'd move on that quick?"

"No, I just…" she touched Ephram's arm gently, "Let's talk tomorrow."

He nodded and she went inside his room. Amber was already in bed and Lily wondered if Amber had heard her and Ephram's conversation. If Amber had, she made no indication of it. Lily shrugged it off, not too concerned. She got under the covers and immediately turned on her side with her back to Amber hoping she would get the hint. Unfortunately she did not.

"How long did you and Ephram date?"

Lily rolled her eyes, _Great! She wants to talk about Ephram. Just my luck!_

"A little over three months," she answered, her back still to Amber.

"I was always curious. And he never talks about you. All he's told me is that you broke up with him."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe there's a reason he doesn't talk about me? Some things are personal."

Amber stayed quiet for a moment and Lily thought maybe she'd shut up for the rest of the night

But Amber pressed on, "I don't know why you broke up with him cause he's a great guy and he's so cute."

"Well there is more to a relationship then how good or cute a person is. Now stop asking me questions about Ephram. It's none of your business."

"You may night like me, but I like Ephram. And you can't stop me from hanging out with him."

"I'm not trying to stop you. I don't give a shit what you do."

"Good, cause you couldn't stop me even if you wanted to."

"Whatever," Lily replied ending their conversation.


	39. Surprise Surprise

A/N I know, I know, I haven't updated in a while. Life has become a little less busy so I am hoping to be able to write more on my story. I am sorry this chapter isn't longer. I began the chapter a couple of weeks ago and barely got a chance to write on it. I wanted to put something up soon. I am hoping my next chapter will be longer.

For some reason, every time I upload my chapter it will not count the spaces between scenes and it will not let me put stars to indicate a new scene. So I had to improvise in order to indicate a new scene. Thanks for reading.

_(Beginning of chapter)_

Ephram awoke to the smell of bacon wafting into the room. He stretched with a groan and got out of bed. He noticed the alarm clock was flashing 4:13am and he realized the electricity had come back on. _Good_, he thought, _Now Lily and Amber can go home and things around here can go back to normal._

He headed to his room to change his clothes, but stopped in the hallway when he heard Lily's voice. He peeked in his room and saw Lily sitting on his desk chair, talking on the phone. From the way she was talking, he figured her mom was on the other end.

"Yes that's fine," he heard her say, then a pause, "Why? You don't think I'll tell him?" another pause, "Fine."

Lily got up quickly and rushed out the door almost running into Ephram.

"Sorry," she gasped, "I didn't see you."

She started down the hallway when Ephram grabbed her arm, "Is something wrong?"

She stopped obviously flustered, "Um, yeah. I just…I mean…" she covered the phone receiver, "My mom isn't going to be able to make it back today. Denver got three more feet of snow than us and the main highways are still blocked off."

Before Ephram could respond Lily was already halfway down the stairs.

Ephram stood there puzzled. _What the hell? Another night? How am I gonna make it through another night?_

He leaned his warm forehead against the cool wall. His feelings were so jumbled. This weekend had tangled them up severely. He cared so much for Lily and still wanted to be with her. At least he wanted to be with the Lily he had fallen for. The fun Lily who was so full of life. Not the depressed distant Lily who never talked to him. She hadn't been herself for most of the time they were dating. When they were friends, she was awesome. He had enjoyed just being around her. But now she was just this shell of who she used to be.

Then there was Amber. He barely knew her, but she seemed cool. She was fun and outgoing. And she had gotten along well last night. Plus she showed a genuine interest in Ephram, whereas Lily barely talked to him. Not to mention Lily had been the one to break things off between them. What was he supposed to do? Lily had even given him permission to date other people, in the hopes he might find someone better for him. But was there anyone better for him than Lily? At one time he had thought Amy was the only one for him. He had been mistaken then and could be mistaken again. He just didn't know anymore. He sighed heavily and went into his room to change. He was not at all eager to go downstairs and start the day.

_(Next Scene)_

"I see you cooked breakfast," Ephram said to his dad noticing the bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast sitting in the middle of the table.

Everyone had their plates full already, so Ephram went ahead and got himself some food. He took a seat next to Amber.

"Eat fast," Amber said poking his shoulder, "My mom wants me home in an hour and we still need to go play in the snow."  
"Yeah," Delia exclaimed clapping her hands in delight, "Lily, you're gonna come too right?"

"Sure. Sounds like fun," she said putting on a smile for Delia's sake.

_(Next Scene)_

"Hurry," Delia called behind her as she ran to the white yard.

"I am," Lily called back catching up with Delia. She glanced over and saw Ephram and Amber running down the porch grabbing handfuls of snow. Lily pretended not to notice them and instead walked over to Delia who had already begun rolling a ball of snow for her snowman.

"Here let me help you," Lily said bending down to help pack the snow. She could hear Amber and Ephram's laughter as they threw snowballs at each other. Lily didn't even glance in their direction. Instead she pretended she didn't even notice them.

"Ephram I bet we can make a better snowman than you," Delia called to her brother.

"You're probably right," Ephram responded.

Amber threw down the snow that was in her hand, "You're on."

Ephram looked at her quizzically, "What are you talking about?"

"Let's build a snowman," she answered with a big smile on her face.

Ephram shrugged his shoulders and followed Amber's lead as they began building their own snowman.

_(Next Scene)_

"Don't forget Savanna's sleepover birthday part on Friday," Amber informed Delia before she left.

"I won't," Delia said.

Ephram walked with Amber to the front door.

"Hey you should come to Savanna's party on Friday. There are gonna be a bunch of little kids and it wouldn't suck as much if you were there." Amber replied putting on her coat.

"I don't know," Ephram said not convinced, "Little kid's birthday parties aren't really my thing."

"Mine either," Amber said rolling her eyes, "That's why I want you there."

"Ok. Sure. I guess I can stay for a little bit."

"Cool! You are the best." Amber said throwing her arms around him.

Ephram was taken aback by the hug and just stood there awkwardly. She finally let go and smiled sweetly before walking out the door. He walked back to the table where everyone else was sitting, drinking hot cocoa.

Lily sat quietly sipping her cocoa, listening to Delia talk excitedly about their snowman. She kept her eyes on her cup, so Ephram wouldn't know she had been watching him. _One more night here with Ephram.__ How am I going to make it? _she asked herself.


	40. Let's Talk

Lily didn't even notice Ephram walking into the room. She was curled up in one of the recliners by the fireplace, writing furiously in her notebook. Ephram sat in the chair next to her and waited for her to notice him. She still didn't look up, so he decided to speak, "Hey," he said his eyes focused on her.

She jumped slightly and closed her notebook quickly, "Hey," she responded uneasy, her cheeks flushed pink.

Her reaction made him regret interrupting her. But it was too late to turn back now, "Last night, you said we could talk today."

"Yeah, I did."

"Is it okay if we talk now?" he asked.

"Sure. That's fine."

He cleared his throat, "I don't really know where to start," he confessed watching Lily. She didn't look as if she was going to help him out with the conversation. He paused searching for the right words. "I-I miss you. And not just as my girlfriend, but as my friend. It seems like we barely dated and all of a sudden it's all over. I remember when you used to worry about this. And here it is. I told you we could overcome anything. So why can't we?"

Lily bit her bottom lip, "There's nothing to overcome, Ephram. We are good together and I care about you. That's why I broke up with you. I wasn't treating you like a boyfriend or a friend. Now isn't any different from before, except we aren't pretending to be happy anymore."

"See that's what I don't get. Why were you treating me bad in the first place?"

"I've been distracted lately. I've had a lot of stuff on my mind and I just don't have the energy for a boyfriend right now. Like I said before, I have to straighten some stuff up in my life and then things can get back to normal."

"Back to normal? What does that mean? That we get back together? How long is that going to be?"

Lily had a sad expression on her face, "I don't know. I don't have any answers yet."

"It doesn't make any sense," he said shaking his head, "Why can't you be more specific about what stuff you are dealing with? Why can't I help you? Does it have to do with you and your mom?"

"You know why I can't tell you? Because I don't need your help. But if I did I would ask for it. Why burden you with my problems when I can take care of them myself?"

"Now I know how your friends in Denver must feel?"

Lily frowned, "What does that mean?"

"After the summer with your dad, you said you didn't talk to your friends. You said you didn't want to bother them. But that's just the thing Lily. Friends want to know what's going on, whether you need help or not. You choose to shut the people who care about you out. Maybe if you would have given your friends a chance, they would still be your friends. And if you keep shutting me out, Lily, you are going to lose me. I care about you so much and I want you in my life. But if you can't open up to me, we can't have a relationship."

Ephram got up from the chair and left the room, leaving Lily to sit and think about what he had just said.

(_Next Scene)_

Ephram groaned and turned on his side. The clock read 1:10am. He had been tossing and turning for over an hour and his dad's snoring wasn't even beginning to let up. He groaned once more before getting up from the bed. He ran his hand through his hair and stumbled through the hallway and down the stairs. He was surprised to see the kitchen light on. He walked into the kitchen and found Lily sitting at the counter, a half-empty glass of milk and her notebook opened up in front of her. She wasn't writing though, just looking down at the pages thoughtfully. She looked up when she heard the refrigerator open.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

"Nah," he answered pouring his own glass of milk, "I haven't been asleep. My dad's snoring is ten times worse than it was last night and I can't fall asleep."

"That sucks."

"Yeah. I'm really thinking about sleeping on the couch," he sat down next to Lily and placed his glass on the counter, "Hell, sleeping outside in the snow would be better than sleeping with my dad's horrendous snoring."

Lily chuckled at Ephram's joke.

"Why are you up," he asked before taking a drink of his milk.

Lily closed her notebook, "I couldn't sleep either."

"Could you hear my dad's snoring too?"

She shook her head with a smile, "No. My thoughts were keeping me up. You know, what you said tonight is true."

"I know."

"But just cuz it's true doesn't mean I know how to fix it. Or even if I can. All I know is I don't want to lose you. I guess I somehow believed I could fix everything and you would wait for me. But when I saw Amber yesterday…I came to the realization that girls are gonna like you and even though I said I was okay with it, I'm not really. It hurts to think you could move on."

Ephram's eyes met Lily's and he smiled. The next thing he knew he was leaning closer to her and their lips were touching. He kissed her with all the passion he had been bottling up and she kissed him back just as hard. It all happened so fast. He didn't remember leaving his stool, walking with Lily to the living room and laying on top of her as they fell back onto the couch. They must have kissed the whole way there, cuz all he could remember was her lips and her body. How soft her hair felt and how sweet she smelled. How he hadn't kissed her like this since October, back when things were good. Like now, things were good now. Never breaking their kiss, he ran his hands along her side. He caressed the bare skin of her stomach that was exposed under her pajama top.

Lily broke the kiss and pushed his hand away, "No. We can't do this," she said breathlessly.

She pushed Ephram off her and got up from the couch.

He looked at her bewildered, "You were kissing me too."

She tucked her hair behind her ear, "I know and I shouldn't have. This is just gonna make things harder to…" she blushed and looked away, "I mean more difficult to deal with. I-I better go to bed. I'm sorry, Ephram," she said sincerely.

He sighed, "So am I."


	41. What Happened

Wendell threw down the controller, "You suck dude. You've won every game."

Ephram shrugged, "What can I say? I've had a lot of time on my hands lately."

"Except for this weekend. Two girls spending the night, stuff like that only happens in my dreams."

Ephram shook his head, "It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like man! Give me some details. I ask you how your weekend was this morning, expecting a normal answer like you stayed in, read some comics, watched T.V. But no, not Brown. Two hot girls get snowed in at your house. I've waited long enough. Spill man!"

Ephram rubbed his forehead and sighed, "It was a hassle really."

Wendell leaned forward listening intently, "I'm all ears."

"Amber, the girl I had intended on watching movies with, is the older sister of one of Delia's friends."

"And Amber's hot, right?"

"I guess," Ephram answered shrugging his shoulders, "I haven't really let myself think about it, cuz of Lily. Lily's definitely sexier, but Amber…she's cute and fun to be around."

"Is she into you?" Wendell inquired.

"I think so."

"Is she in high school? I don't know any Ambers."

"She's home schooled," Ephram explained, "I just met her last weekend. She's the girl April thought I was cheating on Lily with."

"I see," Wendell said rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Continue."

Ephram threw Wendell a weird look before continuing his story. He recounted all the events of the weekend. When he finished Wendell just stared at him in amazement, "Wow."

"Wow?" Ephram repeated, "Is that all you can say? Some advice would be good."

"Advice…advice…let's see," Wendell thought for a second before answering, "Go out with Amber. It'll keep your weekends busy and it'll piss Lily off. So maybe she will get back with you sooner. That is of course if you still want Lily after you get with Amber."

"That's your advice? Where have you been these past few months?" Ephram asked surprised by his friend's advice, "I don't want to intentionally hurt Lily, I love her."

Wendell raised his eyebrows, "That's news to me. So you love her, huh?"

"I thought it was obvious?"

"I knew you were into her," Wendell said, "But love. I though for sure after Amy you had given up on that concept."

"Maybe I should have."

"Ok so the facts are different now. Why don't you tell Lily you love her? Maybe that will change her mind."

Ephram shook his head, "After last night there is no way I could tell her. She'll think I'm just saying it so she'll…you know."

"So she'll sleep with you," Wendell finished.

"Yeah."

"Dude, she knows you aren't like that."

"I don't know what she knows or thinks about me anymore."

"Well she actually ate lunch with us today. So maybe what happened wasn't so bad to her," Wendell replied.

"You know April probably convinced her to eat lunch with us." Ephram pointed out, "She hasn't talked to me since last night and that's not a good sign. We were actually talking to each other yesterday."

"Dude she is totally hot for your body," Wendell said grinning, "She can't even talk to you without keeping her hands off you.

Ephram shook his head at Wendell's statement, "Let's play again. I'm tired of talking about this weekend."

"Okay," Wendell said with a shrug as he picked up his controller.

(_Next Scene_)

"So there's this party on Friday," April said looking across the lunch table at Lily and then at Ephram," And I think we should go. We haven't all been out together in a while."

Lily shook her head, "I don't think it would be such a good idea."

"Come on," April whined, "I miss how it used to be."

"I can't anyway," Ephram said jabbing his food with his fork, "I have plans already."

"What kind of plans," April inquired narrowing her eyes at Ephram suspiciously.

"Why does it matter," Wendell interjected.

April turned to her boyfriend, "You know his plans don't you? He's going out with that tramp, isn't he?"

"She's not a tramp," Ephram said in an annoyed tone.

"So now you're defending her. I can't believe you," April responded, "You and Lily just broke up."

Before Ephram could reply, Lily jumped up from the table and slammed her hands down on the table, "This is why I eat lunch by myself," she said through clenched teeth. Then she turned and walked out of the cafeteria.

April was about to get up, when Wendell put his hand on her shoulder, "Leave her. I think she wants to be alone."

She sighed and sat back down.

Ephram pushed his chair back and got up from the table.

"Brown," Wendell shook his head, "I don't think…"

Ephram interrupted him, "I'm going to talk to her."

He left the cafeteria and headed down the hallway. He saw her up ahead and he rushed up to her, "Lily."

She turned around, "What is it?"

"I'm not going on a date with Amber. I'm just hanging out with her at her little sister's birthday party."

Lily put up her hand, "You don't have to explain."

"I want to."

Lily nodded, "Fine. I'm listening."

Ephram shoved his hands deep into his jean pockets, "I want you to know, what happened Sunday night, I didn't plan that or anything. I mean, I wasn't trying to…you know…" his voice trailed off.

"I know Ephram. We just got caught up in the moment. But nothing happened, so don't worry about it."

"Yeah okay," he agreed.

"Well I'm gonna go to the library," Lily said before turning and heading back down the hallway.

Ephram walked back to the cafeteria, thinking about how unsatisfying the conversation had been. At least he had explained himself and maybe now he could forget about what happened. But he doubted it, even as the thought crossed his mind.


	42. FYI

"Hey Ephram," Amy called jogging up to his locker.

Ephram closed his locker and looked at Amy quizzically, "What's up?"

"I know we haven't talked in a while," Amy shifted her feet uncomfortably, "But I know about you and Lily breaking up. At first I didn't want to say anything. I figured if you wanted to talk about it you would have. But you don't look so good. I want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm okay."

She frowned, not convinced he was being truthful.

He sighed, "Okay so that's a lie."

"You can talk to me you know," she placed her hand on his arm.

"Yeah I know," he nodded.

She put her hand down and shook her head, "It's seems like we can't ever be happy at the same time."

He leaned against his locker and nodded, "So how is Colin doing anyway?"

She smiled, "Good. He has been in for a lot of tests lately, but he says he feels great. He is starting to remember a lot more."

He nodded, "I'm glad things are working out…" he suddenly stopped in mid sentence and his mouth dropped open.

Amy turned to see what he was looking at.

Lily walked past Ephram and Amy pretending not to notice them. She knew they had noticed her though and she ran a hand through her brand-new locks of raven hair confidently. The color change made her face look paler, but she didn't mind. Pitch Black was the name on the box of hair dye. Pitch black, just like her mood. Her new hair suited her, or at least she thought so.

(_Next Scene_)

Ephram and Wendell found a lunch table in the back of the cafeteria.

"Is it just us?" Ephram asked taking a seat across from his friend.

"Yeah. April said she was going to eat lunch with Lily today. She doesn't want her to be alone. She said she's worried about her."

"Me too," Ephram said in between bites.

Wendell pointed his fork at Ephram, "You need to come to that party with us on Friday."

"I already have plans."

Wendell rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah a child's birthday party. But seriously dude, you need to cancel. Last night April went over to Lily's house to help her dye her hair. Lily told her she is going to the party."

"So? She can go if she wants."

"If you ever want to win her back you'll go to this party."

Ephram shook his head, "You lost me."

"Dude, she told April she is going to the party to forget about everything, including you."

"She really said that? How does she plan on doing that," Ephram asked concerned.

"She didn't say, but my guess is she will get wasted and hook up with some stranger."

"Lily wouldn't do that."

Wendell raised his eyebrows, "Since when has she been predictable. You said yourself, neither of you know each other anymore."

Ephram shrugged his shoulders, "Like I said, I already have plans."

Wendell's eyes widened, "What the hell? You're still going to go to that stupid birthday party? Did you not just hear what I said?"

"I heard you. But she's gonna do what she wants, whether I'm there or not. Why put myself through more pain and embarrassment?"

Wendell shook his head in disbelief, "It's your call man. But I'd go if I were you."

(_Next Scene_)

Lily smoothed her skirt and looked at herself one more time in the mirror. She had chosen to wear her navy blue girl scouts shirt, black pleated mini skirt and her lace up boots. She wore her new black hair straight down and had on a little bit of make-up. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach and she couldn't believe she was going to a party. Sure she had been to tons of parties before, but she had always wanted to go. Now looking at herself in the mirror she didn't even recognize her face. She knew why she was going to the party and she knew no good could come from it. But she had to do it. She had to find a way to dissolve Ephram from her head. She broke up with him so she could concentrate on her life right now and the huge task of putting the pieces of her dad's past together and fitting it together with her life. Ironically, since breaking up with Ephram, she had been unable to think of anything but him. She turned from the mirror, pushed aside her anxiety and headed downstairs.

(_Next Scene_)

"Aww," Amber breathed in the fresh air, "Isn't it nice to be out here away from all the kids?"

Ephram nodded.

She turned and looked up at him, "Are you okay? You have seemed distracted all night."

He wrinkled his brow and shook his head slightly, "I just have a lot on my mind."

"You mean you have your ex-girlfriend on your mind," Amber asked turning her gaze to the night sky.

They were sitting side by side on her porch steps. The last couple of hours had consisted of helping the kids with all the party games and this was the first chance they had to get away. Amber had looked forward to this moment, thinking she could finally make a move. But of course he had to be thinking of his ex-girlfriend. Amber couldn't believe her luck.

Ephram hadn't been able to get Lily out of his head all night. He didn't know what was worse, imagining what she was doing or actually knowing what she was doing. He kept debating whether or not he should go to the party. It was only a little past eight, so he knew the party would have barely started.

"It's her loss you know," Amber's statement broke through Ephram's thoughts. He looked over at her and she smiled, "I know that's what parents always tell you, but it's true. You're too good for her."

Ephram raised his eyebrows, "I don't know about that. She just isn't herself right now."

"She must not be to break up with someone as great as you," Amber scooted closer and put her hand on top of Ephram's hand. Ephram's eyes widened as she began to lean in closer to him.

He jumped up quickly and cleared his throat, "Actually, there is this party I need to go to."

_Damn,_ Amber thought, _I was so close._

"Okay, let's go," she said casually trying to alleviate the awkwardness.

"I really think I should go by myself."

"Oh come on," Amber whined, "Please let me go. This birthday party is a bore." She gave Ephram her best puppy dog face. Finally with a groan he agreed she could go with him.

(_Next Scene_)

As soon as they walked into the house, Amber was overwhelmed by the amount of people. Having never been to a public school, she had never been to a party. She grabbed onto Ephram's hand, afraid she would get lost in the crowd. They walked through the crowd of people and into the living room. Ephram stopped and craned his head trying to look over the people. Amber just stood beside him, thinking about how great it was to hold his hand.

"You made it," Wendell said punching his friend in the arm. "And I see you brought a friend."

April stood beside him and looked Amber up and down without saying a word. Ephram realized he was still holding Amber's hand and let it go quickly. "This is Amber," he said, "Amber this is Wendell and his girlfriend April."

Wendell smiled, "Hello."

April just nodded with a frown.

Amber smiled back uneasy, wishing they would just leave so she could be alone with Ephram again.

"Where's Lily?" Ephram asked his friends.

"I'm not sure," April said, "It is so hard to keep track of her."

"I'm going to go look for her," Ephram replied.

"I'm going with," Amber said following Ephram.

He sighed. He didn't want her to come with, but the look on April's face made him worry about leaving Amber with her. "Okay," he said giving in again to her.

She smiled and grabbed his hand.

They started searching the inside of the house, first downstairs, then upstairs. A half hour later, they still hadn't found Lily. There was only one other place to look, the basement. He had seen people come in and out of it all night. Ephram held his breath not wanting Lily to be in there with some guy. He cautiously opened the door and walked down the stairs. He saw a handful of people sitting on the floor next to the stairs laughing and drinking, but Lily was not among them. He walked further into the basement and looked around the corner. And sure enough, there in one of the corners of the basement he saw Lily, and his heart dropped.


	43. Forgotten

Amber followed Ephram's gaze. She saw a girl and a guy making out, but she didn't think it was Lily. At least it didn't look like her from behind. She looked up at Ephram's face and his expression confirmed that it was definitely Lily.

"Why did I come," he said in a hurt tone, "What in the hell did I expect to accomplish? Let's get out of here."

He was already halfway up the stairs before Amber had a chance to protest. She caught up to him and grabbed his arm, "Hold up. Don't you want to talk to her?"

"Why?" he asked as he continued up the stairs, "I have nothing else to say to her. At least nothing I care to say."

Amber followed behind him as they made their way through the house. They were almost to the front door when Ephram heard a girl call his name. He turned to see April and Wendell rushing up to him.

"Are you leaving? Did you find Lily?" April asked as she approached.

"Yeah I found her, making out with some guy."

April wrinkled her brow, "She's not thinking right now. You need to talk to her."

Ephram snorted, "I'm done talking to her." Then he turned and headed out the door, with Amber right behind him.

(_Next Scene_)

Amber watched Ephram as he drove. He hadn't said a word since they left the party. She had racked her brain trying to think of something to break the silence. But everything she came up with sounded lame. They turned down her street and she realized she better talk now before she lost her chance. She cleared her throat as quietly as possible and then forged ahead, "Do you wanna go somewhere?"

He glanced at her quizzically, "Go somewhere?"

"Yeah like to Sal's or the lake or something. I just thought you might like some company."

He didn't answer, just kept driving in silence. Amber held her breath waiting for him to respond. He drove past her house without saying a word.

She looked at him curiously, "Where are we going?"

He shrugged, "Do you care?"

"I guess not. I have to be home in a couple hours though, my curfew is 11."

He nodded.

Amber cursed herself, _I can't believe I just told him my curfew. How childish is that?_ She stayed quiet after that, too embarrassed to speak.

About ten minutes later Ephram pulled his car into the wooded area beside the lake. He shut off the engine and just sat there for a second.

"Do you wanna go down to the lake," she asked not exactly sure what to do.

"I don't want to think about her," he said finally, turning to look at Amber.

"Okay. I won't mention her."

"But it's not just that. I want to forget about her, at least for the moment."

Amber nodded in understanding, "For the rest of the night, only you and I exist," she said with a smile.

Ephram smiled back slightly and they both exited the car.

(_Next Scene_)

Lily could feel the guy's hand on her knee. He slowly slid it up under her skirt and began caressing her thigh.

She broke the kiss and moved his hand, "You're a nice guy Chris, but…"

"Kurt," he interrupted her, "My name's Kurt."

"Sorry Kurt," she corrected herself, "But I think I should go meet up with my friends." She got up from the couch quickly and instantly became dizzy. The alcohol was starting to affect her. She fell back down onto the couch.

"It doesn't look like you are going anywhere right now," Kurt pointed out.

Lily's mind flashed back to all those Lifetime movies she had watched about girls getting drunk and then raped. She saw Kurt's arm reach across the couch. She got up again, not wanting him to touch her. She felt light headed and her knees became weak. She was about to fall back onto the couch, but instead lurched forward so she fell onto the floor. She groaned and attempted to push herself up. Kurt jumped up to help her.

"I can do it," she said, finally getting to her feet.

Kurt wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.

"Why don't you sit back down," he suggested.

"I don't want to. I want to go upstairs."

"Lily," a girl's voice called.

She looked up just in time to see April running up to her, "I have been looking everywhere for you."

"She's not too stable on her feet," Kurt informed April.

"I can take it from here," April said as she placed her hand around Lily's waist.

Kurt let go of Lily and April walked her up the stairs, "I think you need to go home."

"I can't. Not like this."

"You can stay with me tonight. There is a lot we need to talk about."

She groaned, "Can we do it tomorrow? I don't feel very good."

April nodded, "That's fine."

She leaned her head on April's shoulder, "Thank you."

April kissed the top of her head, "You're welcome."

(_Next Scene_)

Amber wrapped her coat tighter around her body. The night air was freezing. It left white tufts of air whenever she or Ephram breathed. There was still a good foot of snow left in some places. Amber's shoes weren't very thick and the snow numbed her toes.

"Too bad it's not summer," she said, "Then we could go swimming."

Ephram kicked the snow in front of him, "Maybe we should have gone somewhere else."

"Sure half my body's frozen, but it is really pretty out here."

Ephram smiled, "Yeah it is."

"But it would be just as pretty from the car," Amber pointed out.

"That's very true," he agreed, "So what in the hell are we doing out here?"

She shrugged, "I have no clue."

He grabbed her hand, "Let's get out of this cold then."

He led her back the way they came. As soon as they got in the car, he turned the engine on and cranked the heater full blast.

"Aww," he said warming his hands up against one of the vents.

Amber followed suit, enjoying the warmth radiating from the car. Eventually the warmth from the heater warmed Amber's entire body. She wiggled her toes in her shoes, glad to get the feeling back in them. She took off her coat and threw it in the backseat with Ephram's.

"So much for the view," Ephram said pointing to the windows that were beginning to fog up.

"Oh well. I saw enough of it."

"How long have you lived in Everwood anyway?" Ephram asked trying to start up a conversation.

"My whole life," she answered, "My parents were born and raised here. They were high school sweethearts."

"Do you want to leave once you graduate?"

She shook her head, "Actually I like it here."

"That's surprising," he said raising his eyebrows, "Most people can't wait to get out of Everwood."

"Yeah I know. It makes me sad," she said sincerely with a sigh, "What about you?"

"I'm going back to New York as soon as I graduate."

She nodded, "Well I'm glad you're here now."

"Yeah, it isn't so bad. Just too small for me."

Amber sat quietly thinking about what he had said. It made her sad that he sounded so eager to leave Everwood. She wanted to defend the town, but she already felt lame for telling him her curfew. Besides there probably wasn't a whole lot in Everwood for him. Being from the big city he was probably used to excitement and always having something to do. She on the other hand, actually liked playing miniature golf and going to all the 'fests' in town. No wonder he liked Lily. She was probably spontaneous and exciting. She wished she were more unpredictable. If she were, she would lean across the seat and kiss him right on the lips. Sure she had tried to at her house, but that didn't take as much guts. Now she was completely alone with him. If she kissed him, who knew what it would lead to.

"Are you okay," Ephram asked cutting through her thoughts.

"Yeah, um…I'm fine," she said. A blush crept into her cheeks when she realized she had been staring at him, "I must have spaced out or something."

"Yeah, you had this thoughtful expression on your face. Like you were concentrating on something. Do you want talk about it?"

She smiled hearing the concern in his voice. Maybe he didn't think she was a total dork after all. She shook her head in response.

"Are you sure," he probed.

"Absolutely. It would be too embarrassing."

He kept watching her, trying to figure her out. He was a little confused. They were just talking about Everwood, how could that be embarrassing?

She played with the sleeves of her yellow sweater, not looking at Ephram. It got so quiet in the car that Amber could hear Ephram's breathing. He was looking at the windshield, seeing as how it was too fogged up to see outside. She wondered if he knew what she had been thinking. The silence was killing her. She couldn't take it any longer.

"I was thinking about kissing you," she blurted out. She looked at him her eyes wide; she couldn't believe she had just told him that.

"Really," he asked surprised, his eyes meeting hers.

"I can't believe that surprises you," she said confused, "I thought I was obvious earlier."

"You mean on your porch?"

She nodded.

"I just wasn't expecting you to say that," he replied honestly, "And I'm sorry about before. When you tried to kiss me I was caught off guard. I mean I was worried about Lily."

"And now?" she asked boldly.

"I want to forget her."

Her heart started beating faster as she saw him lean across his seat. He rested his arm across the back of her seat. She closed her eyes and felt his lips touch hers. She couldn't believe he was actually kissing her. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back.

The image of Lily making out with that guy flashed in Ephram's head and he became angry all over again. He pulled Amber closer to him and continued kissing her. Slowly the anger and hurt he felt melted away and for the moment all thoughts of Lily were gone from his head.


	44. In Too Deep

Lily sat on her bed, a photograph of Ephram in her hand. She caressed his face with her index finger, feeling a tear slide down her left cheek. A minute ago she had every intention of tearing all the photos of him off her wall. Instead she had peeled the first picture off gently, unable to rip it from the wall. She walked to her bed, the photo in hand. She had taken it back in October. He was sitting on his porch swing smiling up at her.

Her heart ached, she missed him so much. She continued staring at the photo, ignoring the tears spilling down her cheeks.

_Dammit__, why do I have to love him? Why does it have to hurt so much? _

She began sobbing uncontrollably. She held the picture to her chest and rocked back and forth. She cried for her father and her mother, for Ephram and their relationship, but mostly she cried because she hated herself. She hated the way she looked, the way she acted, the way she treated the people she cared about. She had come to Everwood for a fresh start, and now she had screwed that up. There was no turning back now, no more running away. Her thoughts wandered to last night and everything April had told her. She was so embarrassed that Ephram had seen her with Kurt.

_He wasn't supposed to be there. He wasn't supposed to find out. How stupid could I be? I knew it would hurt him if he found out. I knew I couldn't forget him by making out with some loser. What was I trying to accomplish? Why do I screw up everything I do?_

She laid down on her bed, tossing the picture to the floor. She wiped her cheeks and closed her eyes, praying sleep would come and save her from the misery she was feeling.

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram sighed as he pulled into Amber's driveway. He rubbed his forehead still not believing the mess he had gotten himself into. He wasn't ready to date Amber; he didn't even know how he felt about her. Unfortunately, after last night there was no way he could turn her down. No respectable guy would do that.

He got out of the car and headed to Amber's front door. He rang the doorbell and Amber's dad was the one who answered. He was a tall, husky man with thinning brown hair.

"Come in," he said opening the door. His voice was anything but friendly and he watched Ephram through narrowed eyes.

Amber's mom came in from the kitchen with a big smile on her face. She was much smaller than her husband and had a round, friendly face.

She extended her hand to Ephram, "It's so good to see you again."

He shook her hand and smiled back politely. Just then Amber came down the stairs. To his surprised she had dressed up for the date. She had on a white sweater, a pale pink corduroy skirt, and white stockings with a pair of pink ballet style shoes. He smiled thinking about how cute she looked.

She grabbed her coat, "Okay, I'm ready." She said smiling up at Ephram.

They said their good-byes to her family before walking out the door.

"You look pretty," he said opening the car door for her.

"Thank you," she replied sliding into the seat.

_Maybe this date won't be so bad,_ Ephram thought to himself as he shut Amber's door.

_(Next Scene)_

"Sorry about the whole movie and dinner thing. I know it's lame, but there isn't a whole lot to do in town," Ephram apologized.

Amber shrugged picking up a french fry, "I liked the movie okay, at least the parts I watched anyway."

He winced a little thinking about the theater. He hadn't meant to make out with her, it just happened. It just felt so damn good to be close to someone again. He felt bad, because he knew she was really into him. He liked her, but not near as much as she liked him. But for now he was having fun, something had hadn't done in a while. He pushed his guilty conscience aside; there was no need for it at the moment.

He stretched his arm across Amber's shoulders and smiled down at her, "You didn't protest," he said lightly.

"And I never will," she replied smiling back at him.

He looked down at her and thought about how cute she was. Her smile looked so innocent and wholesome, kind of the way Amy's looked. She resembled Amy a lot more than she resembled Lily. They both had this sort of girl next door look that he adored. There was really nothing about Amber that reminded him of Lily. Lily had a darker look, not just recently either, but ever since he knew her. Even when she was happy, she always looked like she had something on her mind. Unlike Amber and Amy, Lily's emotions rarely showed on her face. Despite her darker appearance, she was so beautiful. She had a way of looking sexy, no matter what she was wearing. There was something in the way she carried herself, and the way she looked at you, her eyes were so intense.

"Are you okay?" Amber asked concerned.

He nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Amber frowned, "Are you thinking about her?"

"No," he lied.

She stared at him, not sure whether to believe him or not. _Of course he's thinking about her. That's just something I'm going to have to deal with if I want to be with him._

She nodded pretending to believe him, "So what's on the agenda for out next date," she asked changing the topic.

He shook his head, "I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"Well, next Saturday is Valentine's Day. Maybe we could do something special."

"It's really Valentine's Day?"

"Yes," she said rolling her eyes, "Did you forget?"

"Yeah. It's never been a big day for me really."

"Then we definitely need to make it special," she said her eyes sparkling.

"This is barely our first date. Don't you think we're moving kind of fast?"

Amber wrinkled her brow, "Considering what happened last night, I don't think it's fair of you to say we're moving too fast."

"But we can start slowing it down now."

"I don't see how celebrating Valentine's Day would be considered moving too fast anyway," she protested.

"You're right," he said giving in, there was no sense in arguing, "We'll do something special."

She kissed him on the cheek and then leaned her head against his chest.

_I am in so deep now,_ Ephram thought_, And there is no way I am ready for another relationship. _

_(Next Scene)_

"So now you and Amber are together?" Wendell asked his friend, shocked by the news.

April slammed her locker door, "I thought you wanted Lily back?"

Ephram frowned and was about to say something when Wendell interrupted him, "Speak of the devil." He said pointing over Ephram's shoulder.

Lily ran up to them. "Wendell I need to talk to you."

"Okay," he replied looking at her curiously.

"Alone," she emphasized glancing at Ephram and April.

He shrugged, "I'll see you guys at the lunch table." He kissed April quickly on the lips.

Ephram raised his eyebrows, wondering what was going on. April saw he wasn't moving, so she grabbed his arm and led him down the hallway.

Wendell leaned his left shoulder against April's locker, watching Lily with curiosity, "What's up?"

Lily took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, "The thing is I need to borrow your car this weekend." She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously.

"Why?" he asked, taken off guard by the request.

"I have to go to Denver this weekend and I can't ask my mom to take me."

"But you don't even have a license," he pointed out.

"I know. But I have driven before and I'm good at it," she said defending herself.

He shook his head, "You know I can't lend you my car if you don't have a license. I could lose my license and my car if my parents found out."

"Please, Wendell. It is so important to me."

"I can't," he responded standing his ground, "But I can take you myself. Just not this Saturday, it's Valentine's Day."

"It has to be the whole weekend," she said with a sigh.

"I can take you next weekend."

"No. I have to go this weekend," she said in disappointment.

"Why this weekend? What do you need to do?"

"It's a personal thing and if I wait any longer I'm going to go crazy."

Wendell felt for her. He wanted to help her, but it wasn't looking like he would be able to. He thought about Ephram. Ephram would take Lily, Wendell just knew it.

"Ask Ephram."

She shook her head, "I can't."

"You know he'll do it. He'd do anything for you."

"I can find other ways," she smiled politely at Wendell, "Thanks anyway."

She walked down the hallway, towards the library. She didn't know what she was going to do now. She had been so excited last night when she had come up with the plan. She would visit the house her and her dad had stayed at, it was in Hudson, which was only a half hour from Denver. She would go at night, during a party and look through the house, for any of her dad's belongings. She would also visit her dad's parents. Even though they were her grandparents, she knew nothing about them. Her mom told her they didn't want anything to do with Lily. She had believed her mom, but now she wasn't sure what the truth was anymore. She had found their address in her mom's old address book from high school. As long as they lived in the same house in Denver, she would be able to find them. She would be able to ask them about her dad and maybe they had saved some of his stuff. If nothing else, they would at least have pictures of him.

But Wendell couldn't help her and she couldn't think of anyone else but Ephram. There was no way she was going to ask him though. She went through every option in her head, there had to be a way other than Ephram.


	45. Don't Tell Me

"Wait up," Wendell called to Lily, rushing up to her in the hallway.

She stopped and waited for him to catch up, "What's up?"

"I was thinking about your situation and I can ask Ephram for you."

Lily shook her head, "You don't have to. I found someone who is going to take me this weekend."

He looked at her suspiciously, "Who?"

Lily shrugged nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter who. You don't have to worry about it anymore."

She started walking away, but Wendell grabbed her arm to stop her. She turned to him again, "Look, I shouldn't have involved you. So just pretend I never asked you."

Wendell frowned, "I don't think so. I'm already involved and I want to know who you could have found, since we talked this morning."

"Why does it matter?" she asked clearly exasperated by his concern.

"Because I'm worried about your safety. I don't want some stranger taking you out of town for a weekend. Plus, if I let you go, April and Ephram will kick my ass. So if you're not going to tell me who's taking you, I'm gonna to have to tell Ephram to take you."

"Fine," Lily said throwing up her hands in defeat, "It's Kurt."

"Kurt? That name sounds familiar."

"It's the guy I was with at the party."

Wendell raised his eyebrows, "That loser. You barely know him."

The tardy bell rang interrupting their conversation.

"I have to get to class," Lily said turning away quickly, relieved to end the conversation.

_(Next Scene)_

Mrs. Anders knocked on the bathroom door, "Honey, Ephram's here to see you."

Lily groaned, "I'll be down in a minute," she called through the door.

She cleaned up her mess in the sink and washed the blue hair dye off the counter. She looked at herself in the mirror. She had liked her black hair, but it was so boring. So she had decided to die two thick stands of her hair blue. She wasn't sure if she liked it more or not. It seemed liked she wasn't satisfied with anything lately.

She sighed, not wanting to go downstairs. She knew why he was there. She was sure Wendell had talked to him. She hated that Ephram continued to be there for her, even when she was a jerk to him. It just made her feel even guiltier. She knew she couldn't stall any longer, so she headed downstairs. Mrs. Anders and Ephram were on the couch talking. Lily's stomach started churning and she wondered if he was telling her mom about this weekend. She stopped a few feet from the couch, not sure what she should say, in case her mom did know.

Mrs. Anders turned to her daughter. She noticed Lily's hair and immediately shook her head, "Why blue?"

Lily shrugged.

Mrs. Anders got up from the couch. She shook her head again before leaving the room, reemphasizing her disapproval.

Ephram got up and walked over to Lily. Before he could say anything, Lily spoke up, "This isn't the best place to talk."

"Where do you want to go then?"

"Outside I guess," she headed to the front door, grabbing her coat on the way.

Ephram buttoned his coat back up and followed her onto the front porch. The frigid wind started numbing his face the minute he walked outside.

"Are you sure you want to talk out here," he asked crossing his arms for warmth.

Lily crossed her arms too and nodded.

"Ok," he agreed warily. He cleared his throat before he began, "I talked to Wendell today and he…"

She interrupted, "I know what he told you and I know why you're here."

"Ok then it's settled. We will leave after school on Friday."

"No. I'm not going with you," she said shaking her head.

"I thought you said you knew why I was here."

"I do, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna to let you take me."

He raised his eyebrows, "So then I do need to give you my speech."

"It's not going to change my mind."

He smiled slyly, "I think that it will."

She stayed quiet, afraid of what he would say next.

He took her silence as an invitation to continue, "April, Wendell and I had a friendly conversation with your friend Kurt and he has decided not to take you. So it looks like I am your only option. And if you don't believe me, you can call him tonight or just wait until tomorrow when he tells you himself."

Lily shook her head in disbelief, "Looks like I have no choice then, unless of course, I can talk Kurt into taking me again."

"Just give it up Lily. Stop being so damn hard headed. Besides it wouldn't be Valentine's Day if I was having any fun."

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Funny seems like a good change of pace. Besides I think miserable is out of date," he gave her a weak smile.

She looked at him, not sure how to respond. He was miserable because of her and now he had to spend Valentine's weekend with her. She knew he didn't really want to he was just doing it because he was concerned about her.

"Okay, I'll go with you. We'll plan it tomorrow at school. I'm going to need April and Wendell's help too."

He nodded and then walked to his car without another word.

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram shifted uncomfortably in the booth at Sal's. Amber sat across from him, her hands clasped in front of her as she waited for him to speak.

"The thing is I have plans this weekend. So we won't be able to go out for Valentine's Day."

"What plans?" Amber asked clearly upset by his news.

"I need to help a friend out," he answered vaguely.

"The whole weekend? You can't set aside a few hours on Saturday to take me out?"

"It's complicated, but I have to do it."

Amber shook her head in disbelief, "If you really wanted out you could have told me. I know I'm not Lily, but I really thought you liked me."

"That's not it," he replied quickly, "I do like you."

She continued to shake her head as if trying not to hear him, "What we did on Friday…I'm not like that. I-I've never done that. I really like you and I trusted you."

"You're blowing this way out of proportion. We can go out next weekend. It's not that big of a deal," Ephram tried to reason with her.

Amber stood up, "I didn't want to see the truth. I wanted to believe you really liked me. But I know now, you just used me."

"Whoa," Ephram stood up so he was facing her, "You knew how I was feeling and how upset I was. You used me because you knew I would give in."

"I don't think so," she retorted angrily, tears beginning to sting her eyes, "I thought you were different."

Before Ephram could say anything else, Amber had already bolted through the restaurant and out the door.

_(Next Scene)_

Dr. Brown watched his son curiously as he shoved his toothbrush and toothpaste into his duffel bag.

"I didn't know guys had slumber parties."

"It's not a slumber party," Ephram corrected, "I am just spending the weekend at his house. I slept over at my friends' houses all the time in New York."

"You did?" Dr. Brown asked.

Ephram shot his dad an annoyed look, "You were never home, remember?"

Dr. Brown nodded glumly, "Well the least I can do is make up for it now. Do you need anything? A sleeping bag, a flashlight, maybe a nightlight?"

Ephram zipped up his bag, "Dad, I'm not Delia."

"In know. Just trying to make up for lost time."

"I could use some money."

"What? Do Wendell's parents charge rent?"

"No. But I will need some cash to help pay for pizza and movies and whatever else we do."

"So twenty bucks should cover you," Dr. Brown grabbed his wallet and pulled a twenty out.

"Twenty plus sixteen years of interest," Ephram said taking the money from his dad.

Dr. Brown frowned. He pulled two more twenty's from his wallet, "Is this enough?"

Ephram took the money with a smile, "Perfect."

Dr. Brown shook his head as he watched his son walk downstairs. "And everyone says girls are more expensive," he muttered under his breath.


	46. Don't Speak

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," Ephram responded after Lily had finished telling him her plans for the weekend.

She sat in the passenger's seat of his car, as they headed to Denver.

"I don't know what else to do. I've run out of all other options," she answered, her gaze never leaving the window. She looked out at the highway. The sky was gloomy and it had been dreary and snowy all afternoon.

"I'm going with you everywhere you go," Ephram said interrupting her thoughts, "I don't want you to be alone."

She shrugged, "That's fine. You have to drive me everywhere anyway."

Ephram frowned, not appreciating her response. She didn't seem to understand what danger she could be putting herself into. He wasn't worried about her seeing her grandparents. They might be upset, but he seriously doubted they would hurt her. What concerned him was the fact that she wanted to return to the house where she had stayed with her dad. Those people didn't like her and who knows what they were capable of. He was apprehensive about going himself. But he knew he couldn't dissuade her, she had already made up her mind to go.

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram pulled into the parking lot of a Denver hotel. The neon sign read Denver Inn, or at least it would if the whole sign lit up. As it was, it read "Den In". Calling it a hotel or even an inn was a stretch in his opinion. The building was a one story brick building with about two dozen rooms crammed into it. The parking lot consisted only of gravel and the handful of cars that were there, were parked haphazardly in front of the building.

Ephram turned to Lily, his key still in the ignition, "What's plan B?"

"There is no plan B. I'm on a budget."

Lily was about to get out of the car, when Ephram stopped her, "I have some money. If we put our money together we can get a better hotel."

She shook her head, "Only hotels like this will give rooms to minors."

"Is this the best we can do?" he pleaded, refusing to exit the car unless he absolutely had to.

"I'm afraid so, unless you have any suggestions."

He racked his brain, trying to come up with anything that would be even remotely better than this place. "We could sleep in a dumpster."

She rolled her eyes, "It's not that bad."

He sighed, turning off his car. He got out and followed her to the hotel's office.

_(Next Scene)_

"Do you want this last slice?" Ephram asked, opening the lid of the pizza box.

"Nah," Lily answered, shaking her head, "You can have it."

He grabbed the slice of pizza and took a bite before walking over to the only window in the room. He pulled back a corner of the curtain and looked outside. His new car looked out of place among all the other cars, which looked like they were about to fall apart. "I hope my car is going to be okay when we're here."

Lily turned her gaze from the mirror to Ephram. "It'll be fine," she said before returning to put on her make-up.

He wasn't so sure she was right. The last time he came to Denver with Lily, her mom's tires had gotten slashed. He didn't bring that up though; instead he polished off the rest of his pizza and turned on the T.V.

"Are you sure you wanna go to this party?" Ephram asked, "We could always stay in and watch scrambled HBO."

"As tempting as that is, I'm still going to the party."

"Yeah, I figured."

She ran a brush through her hair before turning to Ephram, "Do I look different than usual?"

He looked her over. She was wearing her black Dickie pants and black hoodie. Her hair was down, making her blue streaks more prominent. She was wearing more make-up than she usually wore and it was darker.

"Yeah, you look different. Is that what you wanted?"

She nodded, "I am hoping to not be recognized."

"Good plan. And if someone still recognizes you?" he asked uneasily.

"Then we get the hell out of there and quick," she answered in all honesty, "So, you ready to go?"

"On that note," he responded sarcastically getting up from the bed.

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram went over the plan in his head as they drove to Hudson. He didn't like the plan, but he had to trust she knew what she was doing. He was to stay with her at all times. She was going to go through the house, hoping to find anything that had once belonged to her dad. He was supposed to be her lookout. If anyone noticed them, he had to alert her and they would pretend they were just hanging out talking.

He felt bad for her. It had been five months since her dad died. He doubted any of his possessions would still be in the house with the druggies. He watched enough movies to know druggies support their habit by pawning everything anyone owns. He got the feeling she wasn't holding on to much hope in finding anything, she just wanted to know for sure. She needed some closure.

"Turn right here," Lily instructed him.

He did as he was told and turned down another dimly lit, poorly paved street.

"It's that house," Lily said pointing ahead of them, "The one with all the cars in the yard."

Ephram parked parallel on the farthest end of the yard. He didn't want to run the chance of being boxed in by other cars. They got out and walked to the house. As they approached the house, Ephram was able to get a good look at it. The house was severely run down. The wooden porch was leaning and half of the railing was missing. The windows were busted and had duct tape over the holes. The paint was faded and chipping. He couldn't believe Lily had spent her summer staying here.

Lily grabbed his hand and led him through the people on the front porch.

"Watch out," she warned him as they had to sidestep some vomit that was by the open front door.

"Disgusting," Ephram mumbled under his breath. He was just glad the house was small, that meant they would be out sooner. He continued following Lily's lead, keeping an eye on the people at the party.

_(Next Scene)_

As soon as they got into their hotel room, Lily flopped onto one of the beds dejectedly. Ephram followed, sitting down beside her, "I'm sorry you didn't find anything."

She sighed, "I knew it was a long shot, but..."

"You still hoped you would," he finished for her.

"Yeah," she nodded slightly, "I just want something of his. A piece of him I can hold on to."

"You have the letters he wrote your mom."

"I know. But I want something good. Something that made him happy. Those letters just make me think of him and my mom, which just upsets me."

"Well you still have tomorrow and your grandparents," he pointed out.

"Yeah," she smiled slightly.

"All this stuff with your dad, is that what you needed to work out?"

She didn't answer at first, just looked down at her hands. He shifted nervously, wondering if he shouldn't have brought that up.

"It's funny the way it worked out," she finally responded, "The one thing I thought was coming between us, was the one thing you are helping me with. I don't know if it makes sense to you, why I broke up with you."

"It makes sense. You were so focused on your dad you didn't have the time or energy for a relationship with me. Even though, breaking up seemed to take up more time and energy," he pointed out, wrinkling his forehead.

"It wasn't just that," she hesitated for a second before explaining further, "I didn't want your help. I didn't want anyone's help, but especially yours."

"What? Why?" he asked aggravated by her statement.

"Because you scare me, Ephram. You are a huge part of my life and I have the strongest urge to go to you for everything, to depend on you. You are always quick to help me or to try to handle things for me. You try to take care of me, and it takes all my will power not to give in."

"Why can't you let me take care of you? Is that so bad?"

"I-I can't. I mean, I need to take care of myself. You're not going to be around forever. No one is."

Ephram looked at her sadly. He wished he could take her into his arms and comfort her.

She jumped up from the bed hastily. "I'm gonna take a shower," she said making her way to the bathroom.

Ephram sighed wanting her to talk to him. He got up from the bed to get the remote off the nightstand and noticed her notebook lying there next to the remote.


	47. Lily's Notebook

A/N Unfortunately the chapter is not formatting 2 of my poems right. I am sorry if it makes it harder to read. I tried many different things to make it work, but nothing helped.

Ephram got up from his bed and looked over at Lily. She was curled up on her side, breathing deeply. She had gone to bed over an hour ago. She looked asleep to him, so he snuck over to the nightstand quietly. He picked up her notebook and walked lightly to the bathroom. He closed the door and turned on the light. He had debated the idea of reading her notebook ever since he had found it. In the end, he couldn't resist. He justified his actions, by promising himself he wouldn't read it all, just some of it, to find out how she was feeling about him. It's not like they were going out, or even friends, at least not the way they used to be. He sat down against the door, hoping to cover most of the light that seeped under it. He opened Lily's notebook and started with page one.

_**Aug. 20, 2003**_

_My mom wants me to see a counselor. That's bullshit, all I need is her. Why won't she talk about it? My dad just died. I get that she doesn't care about him, but what about me? He's still my dad. I told her there is no way in hell I'll ever see a stupid counselor. I told her I'd keep a journal and vent in here. She wasn't satisfied, but there's nothing she can do about it. _

_So...my dad died. It sucks. I'm sad. I mean what else can I write? I feel guilty for missing him. He is, or was, into drugs and he overdosed. He was not a part of my life, except for the last couple of months (2 months and 8 days to be exact). It feels strange writing this. I am not a journal person, I mean keeping a record of the shitty things that happen, has never appealed to me. But it feels right for some reason. I guess cuz I know no one wants to listen. Here is what I would tell my mom, if she cared to hear it._

_Dear Mom,_

_For the last couple of months I spent all my time with dad. We stayed in Hudson with one of his "friends." I don't think dad has friends. At least not real ones, the kind that will listen to you and you can tell everything to. So right away we had something in common. When we first got to "Stick's" house (Everyone seemed to have a nickname. I guess it was dangerous giving your real name.) I was disappointed. It was so run down and it had a horrible stench, like stale vomit. But I got used to it after a couple of weeks. My dad and I stayed in one of the 2 bedrooms. I slept on the mattress that was on the floor and dad slept on the floor. It wasn't so bad, since we didn't sleep much. There were always parties to go to and people to "hang out with" (which basically meant get high or stoned with). Yes I did try some stuff, not a lot though. It was the weirdest feeling, being high or whatever. After a few times I didn't do anything but smoke cigarettes, because I didn't trust not being sober. Plus I had to drive dad home at the end of the night. I was a good driver too. _

_After a couple of weeks my dad realized that maybe I wanted to do other things besides party. We went to a few movies at the theater, the zoo, and he even took me to a coffee shop with an open mic. I read one of my poems in front of everyone. He was so proud of me. I was pretty proud of myself too. It felt awesome when everyone clapped for me. _

_He gave me all the letters you wrote him and all the ones he wrote you, that you gave back to him after you broke up. I read them all. They make me so sad and angry. You sound so in love, yet now it's as if he is nothing to you. I will save the letters always and someday I will make you read them. And remember how dad used to be and how you used to love him. Dad had practically nothing to his name. But he carried those letters all these years. They are pretty beaten up, but he held on to them. All the while you threw him and his memory too far for me to reach. He was my dad and you had no right to not let me have him in my life. I didn't choose either of you, but you choose each other. And I am the one who suffers for your mistakes. I understand you were young then, but what is your excuse no? The past 16 years, did you not have any inclination to change your mind? Did you not mature and see how much I needed to know my dad? I don't think any words in the world could explain what I am feeling towards you right now. So there is really no sense in trying._

_Lily Emerson (Yeah you read right, Emerson not Anders, Anders is your name not mine!)_

_**Sept. 16, 2003**_

_So here I am in this town called Everwood. We had to move, cuz my mom was getting too scared to live in Denver. Whatever. We were getting threatening phone calls, but that's it. I ratted out some people to the police, cuz those assholes wouldn't help me save my dad! But they are dumb; they wouldn't have done anything else. But my mom was like, "A fresh start will do us some good." Yeah, sure mom! I've never even heard of Everwood, and it's in Colorado. It is SO small! And I start school tomorrow. By the looks of the kids I saw when I registered, I am not going to fit in. They all look like they came out of a Gap commercial or something. I saw a handful of promising kids, but even they seem dumb too. I just wanna be alone and unnoticed. Only 2 more years and I can move out of Everwood and out of my mom's house._

_**Sept. 17, 2003**_

_I am such a hypocrite! I already have a "friend." It's only been one day. My plan went to hell. Technically it's not my fault. I blew the guy off at school. Then we had to go to a dinner at someone's house. It was this lady whose son is in my mom's class, plus her neighbors. And who happens to be her neighbors? None other than that boy from school and his family, minus his mom, since she died, which is how I got into this mess in the first place. After I heard that I felt like a heel for being so rude to him. Plus, having just lost my dad, I felt sad for him. He seems to be a loner anyway, so at least I am only acquiring one friend and not a whole group._

The entry for September 19th had the poem, Love Song For A Stranger, that Lily had let Ephram read. He moved ahead several pages.

_**Oct. 6, 2003**_

_Okay, spending all my time with Ephram has really had an affect on me. I need some more friends to balance it out. Lately, I have been dreaming about him. Mostly weird stuff where I just remember him being there, which is fine. But then it has started progressing. A few nights ago I dreamed we were in Denver, at my old house. I was painting my nails orange, I remember cuz I would never paint my nails orange. Anyway, I was sitting on my bed painting my nails and he was sitting next to me. He wasn't doing anything, as if watching me paint my nails was super interesting. Then he leans over and kisses me. In my dream I'm all like, "What the hell?" and I leave the house. This is odd, since it is my house, not his. Then a couple nights later I dream of him again and I don't remember the details, just that we are in a field alone and we are totally kissing and I am letting him kiss me! So I had to wait until I woke up to say, "What the hell?" Then everything was cool until last night, when the dream progressed too far. Luckily I didn't "see" anything in my dream. I am quite content not knowing what is under his clothes, thank you very much. But we did have sex, which was weird in itself. We are spending way too much time together if I am having these kinds of dreams!_

Ephram stopped after reading the entry. He smiled to himself, thinking of her having those dreams. It made him nostalgic for the time when they were just friends. Their relationship was so perfect then. He sighed and moved ahead some more pages to a poem she had written.

_**Oct. 24, 2003**_

_**Forever Changed**_

_My heart is floating _

_In a pool of sadness_

_It aches to be whole_

_To be strong and mended_

_I long to smile so completely_

_That it starts in my toes_

_Rushes through my body_

_Up to my beaming face_

_I just want the tears to fall_

_Hard and fast down my cheeks_

_I want to scream and weep and sob_

_Until my sides are splitting_

_And my throat is raw_

_Then I want to stop crying_

_Forever_

_But I can't turn back time_

_I can't be who I was_

_I am a product of my grief_

_My heart still survives_

_And continues to love_

_With all the love it has left_

_Yet it will never be the same_

_Only a shadow of its former self_

_It beats strong and steady_

_Even when I beg it not to_

_My tears have dried up_

_Behind my eyelids_

_Refusing to fall and bring relief_

_Instead they stay put_

_As if pain only comes when_

_They allow themselves to fall_

_But I know they are there_

_As constant as the lonely nights_

_Without a word my life_

_Collapsed as if it had been running_

_Without water in the heat of July_

_I took a deep sigh_

_Picked myself up off the ground_

_And continued on a new path_

_What else could I do?_

_Death refused me and life ran ahead_

_I was stuck in between_

_Trying to reach one or the other_

_Too distraught to give a damn_

_Which one I ended up with_

_So here I am in my new life_

_Full of comfortable lies_

_Pretending to be fine_

_Burying the anguish_

_Never being questioned about_

_My past and the damage_

_It most evidently caused_

_For death has touched me_

_And I am forever changed_

He paused for a second, thinking about the poem. It was so depressing. It was written back in October, when she began to become so distant. He decided to move forward to when they broke up.

_**Jan. 23, 2004**_

_Today I broke up with Ephram. I tried to explain why, but I don't think I came across very clear. I don't have time for him, cuz I need to focus my attention on finding out about my dad. If we are together, he will try to help me. He always tries to help me. I cannot depend on him. I refuse to depend on him. We are too young, there is no way what we had will last. Not even a baby could keep my parents together, cuz they were in high school. How can I expect our immature feelings to be binding? If I depend on him, even a little, then when it ends, I will be more alone and vulnerable then when it began. So I ended it now, before we got in too deep. He would thank me if he knew I am only sparing our hearts._

He couldn't believe that was the reason she broke up with him. Because her parents didn't last, she thought they were doomed too?! He knew his love for her was real, not some immature crush. Couldn't she see they were stronger than her parents?

Ephram moved ahead and read the last four entries that were all written in February.

_**Feb. 1, 2004**_

_**Bindings**_

_My woeful heart is bound-  
By promises and pain,  
The things I hide within myself-  
Gripping, twisting with vain,  
  
Sometimes it hurts so much-  
But tears will never show,  
And I wish for you to feel, to touch-  
To be like me, and know.  
  
I know my heart is not Inviting-  
I pray you don't get lost in my unknown-  
My inner thoughts - to you are frightening-  
Please don't leave me all alone.  
  
It's not help I want, nor help I need-  
Just you will do me fine.  
Your lungs to help me breathe-  
Your heart to steady mine._

_**Feb. 2, 2004**_

_I survived the weekend, but barely. Amber was there. I know she is the girl that Ephram was with the night we broke up. She is exactly the way April described her. Shorter than me, brown hair that falls to her shoulders and looks like she could be class president. I don't like her. I'm not going to lie, I don't like her cuz she likes Ephram, plain and simple. She's pretty though and that makes me hate her more. Ephram denies there is anything going on between them. I believe him, but I think the chance that something will happen between them is high._

_My jealously, as well as my stupid love for Ephram, made me do something so dumb last night. I made out with Ephram. I can't believe I let my emotions take control. And I know I just confused him even more. Of course I am so in love with him and it's going to take some extreme measures to get over him. Seeing him all the time doesn't help. At least I was thinking enough to stop kissing him. If I wouldn't have, who knows what would have happened. It didn't help me either, cuz I miss him. I miss kissing him and being around him. And when he talks to me, he looks so hurt that I just want to hug him and kiss him and make things better. Why does he have to like me? I'm not special, far from it. But he does, and all I can do is keep my distance and help him move on._

_I was looking back at my entries the other night and I came across my poem, Love Song For A Stranger, and I reread it. I realized that it has come true. I have officially changed the title to Love Song For Ephram Brown. Everything in that poem is how I feel about him. Damn! How am I ever going to move on?!_

He paused after reading this. She was in love with him! All this time, she had never told him. Of course, he hadn't told her either, but he couldn't believe it. Now that he knew how she felt, he could tell her how he felt.

There were only two entries left so he decided to finish them.

_**Feb. 7, 2004**_

_I can't believe I made out with some stranger at a party. That was my genius plan for getting Ephram out of my head. And it worked for a moment at least he was out of my head, but not my heart. The guy could not be compared to Ephram. First of all, he had greasy blonde hair; he used way too much gel trying to spike his hair. Ephram never had too much gel in his hair. Actually, I think this calls for a list._

_Guy at the Party _

_1. too much gel _

_2. too much cologne _

_3. bad kisser (too much tongue and saliva) _

_4. makes out with girls at parties _

_Ephram_

_1. no gel_

_2. no cologne (only when he dresses up; usually smells like soap which I love)_

_3. great kisser (could kiss him forever)_

_4. only kisses girls he truly likes_

_I could go on forever, at least on Ephram's side. I miss him. The sad thing is he saw me at the party. April told me later. Amber was with him too. I bet they were on a date. Doesn't she see he is too vulnerable right now to go out with her? I just hope she is good to him. Now I am in no better shape to move on. If anything I have just made things worse. It seems I have been doing that a lot lately._

_**Feb. 9, 2004**_

_**Reflection**_

_I saw you again today_

_With the usual scowl upon your face_

_Our eyes met and I wonder when_

_The last time you smiled was_

_I can't remember what it looked like_

_You dyed your hair again_

_The third time this month_

_As if your hair color_

_Will change who you are_

_You act so tough_

_Emotions don't reach you_

_People refuse to get close_

_Nothing will ever touch you_

_I've known you a long time_

_I can see through your façade_

_The agony in your eyes_

_Evidence of your anguished soul_

_The blockade you have built_

_Around yourself, around your heart_

_Doesn't prevent the grief_

_That courses through your veins_

_Just conceals it, forcing you_

_To stand alone_

_But you don't recognize_

_The damage you create_

_Because everyone else is the threat_

_You are your only companion_

_Except I know your secret_

_The tears, the screaming_

_The gut-wrenching sobs_

_All alone in the dark_

_You think no one knows_

_But I do, I hear it all_

_I stare at you_

_Blinking back the tears and _

_Swallowing the lump in my throat_

_I want to scream at you_

_Force you to give a damn_

_Don't you know_

_Your pain is my pain?_

_Your callous attitude disgusts me_

_I can't look at you any longer_

_I turn away from you_

_Running in the opposite direction_

_Away from you_

_My reflection_

Ephram closed the notebook and just sat there, taking in all he had just read.

A/N The poem Bindings was written by Christina Hart. Thank you for the poem. It was perfect.

Also, please review my story. I like to know if you like the way it's headed, what you think of certain characters, etc. I love feedback, good or bad. I want to make sure my story is still interesting and appealing to the readers. I love writing and the challenge of keeping it interesting.


	48. Valentine's Day

"Good morning," Ephram said as he walked into the hotel room, a brown paper bag in one hand. "Happy Valentine's Day." He grinned cheerfully, walking over to Lily.

She sat up in her bed, looking at him like he had lost his sanity. "Okay, first of all, it's 8 in the morning. Who under the age of 30 wakes up at this time naturally? Where were you?"

He sat down next to her and emptied the contents of the bag, "Let's see. We have orange juice, one with pulp and one without. I wasn't sure which one you preferred. And I had to get the individual containers, since this Holiday Inn we're staying at doesn't have a mini-fridge. Here's a variety pack of granola bars, a banana and an apple, and of course chocolate donuts."

Lily looked down at all the food lying between her and Ephram, "This is really sweet of you, but I'm not much of a breakfast person."

"Well today you are. It's a big day for you and you need the energy. So choose what you want."

"I wasn't planning on leaving for a while. Like after lunch."

He shook his head, "It's Valentine's Day and they probably have plans. You need to get their before they leave."

"That's a good point. I hadn't even thought of them going out to celebrate," she grabbed a juice, "No pulp, that's how I like my orange juice."

He smiled at her and grabbed the other juice for himself.

_(Next Scene)_

Lily glanced over at Ephram who was standing beside her on the front porch. He smiled at her encouragingly. She took a deep breath, wiping her hands on her jeans, before ringing the doorbell.

A moment later, the front door opened, "May I help you," the older woman asked watching the two teenagers curiously.

Lily let out her breath. She hadn't even realized she had been holding it, "I'm looking for Mr. and Mrs. Emerson."

"I'm Mrs. Emerson."

"Who is it dear," a male's voice called from the house.

"I'm not sure," Mrs. Emerson called back. She turned back to Lily and Ephram, "May I ask your names?"

Lily pointed to Ephram, "This I my friend Ephram Brown and I'm Lily Anders, your granddaughter."

Mrs. Emerson put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. She looked behind her, before opening the screen door and walking onto the porch. She grabbed Lily's hands with tears in her eyes, "Is it really you, my granddaughter?"

Lily nodded, her own eyes becoming wet.

Mrs. Emerson hugged her granddaughter. She pulled away still holding Lily's hands, "You're all grown up. You did seem familiar when I first saw you. You have your daddy's eyes."

Just then Mr. Emerson hurried out of the house, letting the screen door slam behind him, "What is going on?"

Mrs. Emerson let go of Lily's hands and looked at her husband with a guilty expression on her face, "It's our granddaughter."

Mr. Emerson looked straight at Lily, "You must be mistaken. We don't have a granddaughter."

Ephram was shocked by Mr. Emerson's words, "How can you deny her? She is right here in front of you."

Mr. Emerson glared at Ephram, "You are out of line boy."

"No you are the one that's out of line. You..."

Lily put her hand on Ephram's shoulder and shook her head. He stopped speaking, although he was still fuming.

"Get in the house Ramona," Mr. Emerson commanded.

Mrs. Emerson looked at Lily sadly, tears spilling down her cheeks. She hugged her again, tighter this time, "There's a diner called Pancake House. It is right off the highway. Meet me there tomorrow at 9 in the morning."

She pulled away and walked up to her husband, who was holding the screen door open waiting for her.

Lily and Ephram walked in silence to the car. As soon as they pulled away from the house, Ephram spoke up, "I can't believe that man. I can't even call him your grandfather. The way he dismissed you, like you were nobody. That pissed me off." He glance over at her, "How are you doing?"

"Good actually. When she hugged me, she told me to meet her tomorrow morning at this diner."

"Really?! That's great Lily." He replied genuinely happy for her.

She nodded in agreement, thankful that at least her grandma wanted to meet her.

"We need to celebrate tonight. It's Valentine's Day and you're going meet with your grandmother tomorrow."

"I don't think that's such a good idea. We need to stay at the hotel. How if someone I know sees me, or even worse David? For all I know, my mom could be spending Valentine's Day here in Denver with him."

"I thought you said they were gonna stay in Everwood?"

"That's what she told me, but plans can change. We need to be careful."

"What about Boulder," he suggested. "That's not too far from here, right?"

"Less than an hour. We could go there."

He nodded with a grin.

"Ephram?"

"Yeah."

"Did you have plans with Amber today?"

Ephram winced at her question, "Sort of."

"Sort of?" she questioned.

"We were going to go out, but I hadn't planned anything."

"Did you tell her why you were leaving this weekend?"

"I told her I was helping out a friend."

Lily nodded, "Good. I don't really trust her. Sorry if this ruined your plans."

"No. I wanted to take you. The date with Amber was more her idea than mine."

"I see."

"We're not dating or anything. I mean we have been on a couple of dates, but that's it," Ephram explained.

"It's cool. I was just asking because I felt bad you had to spend your Valentine's Day with me."

Ephram glanced at her quickly before turning back to the road, "But I'd rather be here."

"It's okay. You don't have to try to make me feel better."

"I promise you it's not like that."

"Okay. I believe you," she replied.

He didn't think she was being entirely honest, but he didn't argue anymore. It was obvious she just wanted to drop the topic. He groaned inwardly, hoping that the rest of the day improved. The mood had to be just right, so he could tell her how he felt.

_(Next Scene)_

Lily sat across from Ephram in one of the coffee shops in Boulder. There table was against a window that looked out onto the park across the street. She watched the people ice skating on the frozen pond.

Ephram followed Lily's gaze, "Too bad we didn't bring our ice skates."

Lily turned from the window and sipped her coffee, "I don't have ice skates. The last time I went ice skating I was 12."

"Yeah, I didn't really ice skate in New York. I tried it a few times last year."

"And now you like it?"

"Not too much really."

She smiled, "Then I guess it's a good thing we didn't bring our ice skates."

"You were just watching those people like you wished you were with them."

She shook her head, "It just reminded me of when I was younger. How much happier I was. I miss how things used to be when I lived in Denver."

He leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on the table, "But things will get better. I remember after my mom died I was positive I'd never be happy again. It took time, but now I am happy. I'm not the same person I was before my mom died. I've just learned to be happy with who I am and how my life is now. You'll get to that point eventually."

Her gaze fell to the cup in her hands, "I hope so."

"I know you will," he reassured her, reaching out and touching her arm.

She looked up at him, "It's good to know you're happy and I haven't taken that away from you."

He wrinkled his forehead, "Is that what you thought?"

"I know I hurt you. I don't want to be that girl that ruins you, makes you bitter towards women for life."

He laughed, "Don't worry. None of the damage was permanent."

"That's good to know," she smiled at him before taking another sip of her coffee.

He looked up at the clock on the wall, "We need to leave in a few minutes if we want to make it to the movie on time."

"I'm ready whenever you are," she replied.

"I'm ready now."

They got up from the table and headed outside to his car.

_(Next Scene)_

"This looks kinda fancy," Lily whispered to Ephram from across the table.

"Nah, it's not that fancy. We didn't even need reservations and not many people are dressed up."

"I meant it looks fancy for us," she clarified.

"Don't worry, it's my treat," he responded smiling at her.

"You paid for the movie too, though."

"You're my ex-girlfriend, yet we are spending a weekend together in a hotel. I don't think there are rules to follow."

She furrowed her brow, "I guess you're right. In any case, thank you. Today has been a good day."  
"I'm glad," he said still smiling at her, "Because there is something I want to tell you."

She looked at him curiously.

"I..."

Before he could finish the waiter approached their table, "Are you ready to order?" he asked them.

Ephram shook his, "We need a few more minutes."

The waiter nodded and walked away.

Lily picked up her menu, "Maybe we should order first."

"I need to tell you now, while I still have the courage."

She nodded, putting her menu back down.

He reached over and held her hands, "Lily...I love you. I mean, not like a friend. I'm in love with you."

A/N Please, Please review my story! It really helps keep me motivated to write. Thank you.


	49. Feeling The Same Way

She jerked her hands out of his, "What did you just say?"

"I said I'm in love with you," he answered with more confidence this time.

She nodded, biting her bottom lip, "That's what I thought you said."

He watched her expectantly, waiting for her to respond to his confession. She didn't say anything at first. Instead she picked up her menu and began concentrating on that.

The waiter returned and asked again if they were ready to order.

Lily nodded and ordered a plate of fettuccini alfredo.

"And for you sir," the waiter asked Ephram.

"Um..same as her, that's fine."

As soon as the waiter had left, Lily turned her attention back to Ephram. "How can you tell me that? Is that what this is?" she waved her hand over the table, referring to their dinner arrangements.

"The moment seemed right."

"Right for who? Because it sure as hell wasn't right for me."

"I should have told you sooner, when we were still going out. I was afraid then, afraid that I'd scare you away. But what do I have to loose now?" he explained to her.

She shook her head, "I don't even know what to say, Ephram."

"You can tell me how you feel."

"I'm shocked and totally caught off guard."

"I meant how you feel about me, not about what I said," he clarified.

She raised her eyebrows, but didn't respond to his inquiry.

He continued, "You're going to meet with you grandmother tomorrow and find out about your dad. The one thing that you said was between us won't be anymore. And now you know how I feel about you. All that's missing is the reason you're still holding back."

"Can we just drop it until we get back to Denver? This isn't the place for this conversation."

"What conversation? You mean the one where you pretend you don't feel the same way. I know you're scared, all this is new to you, but you can't deny how you feel."

She looked at him suspiciously, "So now you're an expert on my feelings?"

"Just say it Lily."

She stayed quiet, refusing to give in to him.

"Just say it," he repeated jumping up from the table, "Why can't you just say it?"

"Please sit down," she pleaded with him, "You're making a scene."

He pulled his wallet out and threw two twenty's onto the table, "Enjoy our meal. I'll be in the car when you're ready to leave."

He walked out of the restaurant. Lily just sat there, her head in her hands.

_(Next Scene)_

Lily shut the car door and placed the bag of food onto the floor behind Ephram's seat. "I got them to put it into take home containers, in case we get hungry later."

Ephram pulled out of the parking lot, without even looking at her.

"They were going to make me pay anyway, so I figured we should at least get to keep the food."

When he still didn't respond, she sighed loudly, "Is this how it's going to be now?"

"Not communicating seems to be your strong suit. I'm starting to think I say too much. Maybe if I'm vague and unemotional, we'd get along better."

"Is that what you think of me? That I'm vague and unemotional?"

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road, "It doesn't really matter what I think. It never has. It's always been about you and what's right for you."

"If that's true, why even try to be with me again?"

"I answered that question in the restaurant," he said before turning the radio up.

Lily took the hint and sat there without speaking for the rest of the drive.

_(Next Scene)_

As soon as Ephram got into the hotel room he grabbed the remote, flopped down on his bed, and turned on the T.V. Lily sighed, placing the bag of food by the T.V. She walked up to Ephram and took the remote out of his hand.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

She turned the T.V. off. "Let's talk."

"Unless you're going to tell me how you feel, I don't want to talk."

She placed the remote onto the nightstand and sat down next to him. "You seem so sure that you know how I feel," she said looking over at him, "I didn't think I was that obvious."

He didn't know how to respond. There was no way he could tell her how he found out. He decided to stay silent, hoping she wouldn't question where he got his information.

She bit her lip nervously. She was hesitant to speak further, but knew she had no other choice. "Even after I tell you how I feel, that isn't going to change anything."

He raised his eyebrows, "Why not?"

"Feelings aren't enough. And I just think we are too young to be so serious. When I just dated guys, things were so simple and..."

"Meaningless," he interjected.

She continued, ignoring the interruption. "But you and I could never just date." She looked at him with a pained expression, "I'm going to be honest Ephram. I don't know a whole lot about love or being in love. There was never anyone before you that I cared so much about. But from what I do know, I can say I am in love with you also."

"Then why can't we be together?" he asked never taking his eyes off of her.

"Because the longer we are together, the more it is going to suck when it ends."

"I understand that we are still young, but our age doesn't invalidate our love. I can't promise you forever, Lily. All I can promise is right now. When we were together I was so happy and I know you were too. Even though the past few weeks have been difficult, I've never once regretted knowing you and having you in my life. And I think it would be worth any future pain, if we could be together again. It's the quality of our time together that matters, not the quantity."

Tears started spilling down Lily's cheeks, "I'm so sorry for the hurt I have caused you. I don't deserve you Ephram."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Don't make me out to be a saint. My motives are completely selfish."

She looked up at him curiously.

He smiled down at her, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "You make me happy. I want to be with you so I can be happy again."

He bent down and kissed her on the lips. She reached up and placed her hands on his cheeks, pressing her lips harder against his.


	50. Emotions

Ephram woke up slowly, his eyes adjusting to the light in the room. He looked over and saw Lily curled up next to him, still sound asleep. He smiled to himself as the events of the night before came back to him. Lily had fallen asleep in his arms and he left her. Shortly after, he had fallen asleep too.

He shook Lily lightly, trying to wake her up. She groaned and opened her eyes very slowly.

"Good morning," he said smiling at her.

"Good morning," she replied smiling back at him.

"We need to get ready now if we want to meet your grandmother in time," he pointed out.

She nodded with a yawn. She was about to sit up, when Ephram pulled her back down again. "Not so fast," he said kissing her swiftly on the lips.

"We really need to brush our teeth," she said breaking the kiss and getting out of bed.

"You're no fun," he said also getting out of bed.

She rolled her eyes at him before heading to the bathroom.

He couldn't stop grinning. He just knew things were going to be better. They had decided to get back together and he wasn't going to let anything get between them this time.

_(Next scene)_

Lily and Ephram sat in a booth across from Ramona Emerson, Lily's grandmother. She had bought them both breakfast and as they ate she and Lily got to know each other. Ramona had brought some pictures of her son that she had copied for Lily.

Lily had just finished looking at the pictures of her father. There weren't many and most were from when he was a child.

"I'm glad you got to spend some time with your dad," Ramona said with sincerity, "The last time I saw him was a few days before he went to see you. That's how he got your address. Every time we met, we would come here. My husband hates this place, so I know he would never show up here accidentally. When I met with Johnny he told me he wanted to see you. He had finally gotten the courage to see your mom. She was the reason he never went to see you. He was still in love with her, and he hadn't seen her since you were a couple of months old. But he finally decided it was more important to get to know his daughter."

Lily nodded, tears starting to well up in her eyes. Ephram had his arm around her shoulders and he pulled her closer to him, comforting her.

Lily blinked back the tears. "I'm glad you didn't abandon him like everyone else. I always felt so bad that he didn't have anyone. I wanted with all my heart to save him. But if you couldn't save him after all these years, what could I have done in a few months?"

Ramona nodded slightly, "I know." She looked up, holding back her own tears, "I have gone through all the what ifs. But ultimately it was his decision. It was the hardest thing for me to accept. As his mom, I felt like a failure. Johnny and his brother Bobby were so close. And after Bobby died, Johnny turned to drugs to ease his pain. Seth put up with it for a couple of years, but once Johnny had gotten your mom pregnant, that was the last straw for Seth. He kicked Johnny out of the house and that was the last time they spoke to each other. As far as Seth was concerned, both our sons were dead, which is the reason he wouldn't acknowledge you."

"Do you think he will ever change his mind?" Ephram asked her.

Ramona shook her head, "I don't know. He's a very stubborn man."

"I got that much from him," Ephram said bitterly.

"Oh before I forget," Ramona reached into her purse and pulled out a notepad. She wrote down a P.O. Box address and handed it to Lily. "You can write me here. I set up the P.O. Box after Johnny left home. We would leave stuff for each other there. You can write to me as long as you send it here."

Lily nodded, "I'll do that."

"I have one final thing for you." Ramona reached beside her and picked up a shoebox. She set it on the table. "Inside here are letters and cards that your dad wrote for you. I told him to write these in case he ever saw you again you would know how much he thought of you."

Lily stared at the box in awe.

Ramona pushed the box over to Lily, "Wait until you get home to read them. I hope they help you."

Lily nodded still looking at the box, "Thank you." She looked up and met her grandmother's eyes, "Thank you so much."

Ramona got up, tears beginning to cascade down her cheeks. "I better get going before Seth becomes suspicious."

Lily got up too and hugged her grandmother.

"My sweet granddaughter, you have made my day," Ramona said hugging Lily tighter. After pulling away Ramona turned and hugged Ephram as well. "You take good care of her for me."

"I will," he replied sincerely.

Ramona hugged Lily one more time before leaving the diner.

"I think it's safe to say that went well," he said taking Lily's hand.

"It was perfect," she whispered with a smile.

_(Next scene)_

Ephram parked his car in front of April's house so he could drop Lily off. As soon as they got out of the car April ran up to them.

"Your parents know you guys went to Denver," April said in a high voice.

"What?!" Ephram and Lily asked in unison.

April looked at Lily, "Your mom called this morning and my dad answered. She was looking for you because she wanted to tell you something. Of course my dad blew your cover. My dad got mad at me and made me tell your mom the truth. I tried to lie and say I didn't know anything, but she didn't give up and eventually I caved. I'm so sorry."

Lily tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.

Ephram furrowed his brow, "You said my dad knew too."

"I'm not positive. I just assumed Lily's mom would tell him," April explained.

Lily turned to Ephram and nodded, "She would."

"Great. You know how bad this is going to look to them?" he pointed out.

Lily nodded solemnly. She knew her mom would make a big deal out of it. She wasn't sure how Dr. Brown would react, but either way Ephram and her were off to a bad second start.

_(Next scene)_

"Looks like my dad's here," Ephram said as they pulled up to Lily's house.

"Are they going to lecture us together?" she asked becoming uneasy at the thought.

"Most likely," Ephram nodded. "Before we go in there promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"No matter what happens in there or what our parents say, don't let it get in between us. I don't want to lose you again."

She nodded in agreement and with that they exited the car.

_(Next scene)_

Lily sat next to Ephram on her living room couch. Their parents paced back in forth in front of them, taking turns with the lecturing. Lily and Ephram had not been able to get a word in for the past ten minutes. As they both had suspected, their parents thought their trip to Denver was an escapade for premarital sex.

"You know what the worst part of all this is?" Dr. Brown asked. He forged ahead answering the question himself, "You made two other people lie for you."

Lily couldn't take it anymore, she had to speak up. She spoke quickly before Dr. Brown or her mom could start up again. "WE DID NOT HAVE SEX."

"What?" Dr. Brown was taken aback by her aggressive tone.

"We did not have sex," Ephram repeated a little less loudly.

"Not that it's any of your business anyway," Lily added.

"When does it become our business then? When you have a child that I have to raise for you since you are only a child yourself?" Mrs. Anders argued back.

Lily jumped up from the couch, "I'm not you, mom. I will not make the same mistakes you did. When I do decide to have sex I will be careful. I wouldn't want to ruin my life, the way I ruined yours," she spat back at her mom.

"Hold on." Dr. Brown got in between Lily and her mom and raised his hands defensively, "There's no need to fight. Why don't you two just explain to us what you did in Denver?"

"Ephram took me so I could see my dad's parents."

"And that's all?" Dr. Brown questioned in disbelief.

Mrs. Anders shook her head, "Dr. Brown, Ephram, I think I need to talk to my daughter alone."

Dr. Brown nodded and motioned for Ephram to follow him out of the house. Ephram got up reluctantly, still worried about Lily.

"This isn't over for us either," Dr. Brown informed his son as they walked out the front door.

"I figured," Ephram mumbled.


	51. Tangled

Ephram took a seat across form Lily in the library. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her about last night and he was anxious to know what happened. They had agreed to spend the last part of their lunch alone so they could talk.

Ephram wasted no time and spoke immediately after sitting down. "So, what did your mom say? Are you in trouble?"

Lily cracked a smile, "Hi to you too."

"Come on. We said hi this morning."

Lily laughed out loud, "Alright, alright, I'll tell you what happened." She paused for emphasis, "After you tell me what your dad said."

He sighed, but gave in. "He just lectured me some more. He couldn't believe we went all the way to Denver just so you could see your grandparents. He has no choice but to trust me, so he accepted it anyway. Then he told me if he ever finds out I lied to him, I will be grounded until I graduate."

She raised her eyebrows, encouraging him to continue speaking.

"He didn't ground me, but he did lecture me about safe sex, which in my opinion is worse. And he's not like normal parents whose sex talk consists of a five minute general overview. Lucky for me he's a doctor who has more knowledge and vocabulary about safe sex than the average parent. So if you ever need any info, I'm your man."

Lily chuckled, "That sucks. But I can't say I feel that sorry for you. My mom gives me the talk like twice a year."

He wrinkled his forehead.

"Technically I was never ungrounded from October," she said beginning to explain about the night before. "My mom just lectured me some more. Even though I told her my grandmother was nice and wants to get to know me, my mom is still suspicious of her. She didn't forbid me from seeing my grandmother, which I am thankful for. Not that her forbiddance who have stopped me. But it's good not to have to go behind her back."

"It looks like we got off better than we had originally thought."

Lily nodded in agreement. "There's one more thing." Her smile faded as she began talking, "The reason my mom came to see me Sunday morning was because David proposed to her on Valentine's Day. She was so excited she wanted to tell me right away."

"Wow! That's big news. They were dating while you lived in Denver, right?"

"For two years." Lily sighed slightly, "I had thought about them eventually getting married. I just assumed they'd wait until I had graduated and moved out."

He looked at her curiously. "Is that what your mom had told you?"

"No. Not really. But she never let men spend the night at our house. So I assumed she didn't want me to be uncomfortable. Having a man live there will definitely be uncomfortable."

"I thought you liked David?"

"I do," she answered sincerely. "But it's always been my mom and me. When he moves in everything is going to be different. I'll wake up in the morning and there he will be, in the kitchen with only boxers on, drinking our orange juice from the carton. We don't do that, we always use a glass. And he will leave the toilet seat up and towels on the bathroom floor. When I do the laundry I'll have to clean his underwear. Not to mention the fact that...."

He interrupted her, "I think you're overreacting a little. When are they getting married?"

She took a deep breath. "In May, a few weeks after school gets out. They think it will be easier for me to adjust if I don't have to worry about school. But I will never adjust!"

He laughed at her statement. "Eventually you will."

"Maybe," she shrugged. "Another thing is he's going to sell his bar and try to find work down here. How if he never finds a job? Then my mom is supposed to support him? I doubt there is much work down here for him."

"Don't tell your mom that. She might decide to move you guys to Denver."

She shook her head, "She wouldn't live there again. She's too attached to Everwood."

Just then the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

"We can talk some more later." He said getting up from the table.

Lily nodded walking over to him.

He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the top of her head, "I'll help you in any way I can."

"Thank you."

He kept his arm around her as they walked together out of the library.

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Lily shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "It feels kinda weird being here." She turned to look at Dr. Brown who was cooking dinner in the kitchen. "Especially after what he thought we did."

"It'll be more uncomfortable after we actually do it."

She turned back around and punched him in the shoulder. "Don't say that. How if he hears us?"

He laughed, "He can't hear us."

She rolled her eyes, "Anyway." She changed the subject quickly. "April apologized to me a hundred times today. I kept telling her I'm not in trouble, but she feels so bad. It's not her fault at all."

He was about to respond when the doorbell rang.

"Will you get that, Ephram?" Dr. Brown called from the kitchen.

He got up from the couch with a groan. He opened the front door only to find Amber on the other side.

"Hey," he said surprised by her visit.

"Hey," she replied back softly. "Can we talk?"

He nodded, "Let me just get my coat."

"It's too cold out here. Can't we talk inside?"

"Um...actually that's probably not a good idea."

She tilted her head, a quizzical expression on her face. "I don't understand. Are you still mad at me? That's why I came over. I wanted to apologize. I'm new at this whole thing and I see that I am moving too fast. I'm willing to slow down."

He winced inwardly at her words.

Dr. Brown came up behind his son and put his hand on his shoulder. Ephram jumped at his touch, before realizing it was his dad.

"It's freezing outside," Dr. Brown pointed out, "Let the poor girl inside."

Dr. Brown opened the door and let Amber in before Ephram could stop him.

"Thank you," Amber said politely to Dr. Brown.

He just smiled and returned to the kitchen.

Amber looked over at the couch and met Lily's gaze. She turned back to Ephram, "So you two are friends now?" she asked nervously, chewing on her bottom lip.

Lily got up from the couch and walked over to them. "I think I'll go now."

Ephram nodded. After Lily had walked out the front door, he turned his attention back to Amber. "Actually we are more than friends."

"What?! Since when?"

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "This weekend."

"I thought you were helping a friend."  
"She was the friend."

She threw her hands up, "So that's it? I thought you liked me?"

"I do. But you know how much I care for Lily."

Tears started spilling down Amber's cheeks. She turned and ran out the front door. Ephram followed her outside. Amber ran down the street and caught up with Lily who was only a couple of houses down. Ephram caught up with Amber right before she reached Lily. He grabbed her arm, "What are you doing?"

Lily turned and watched them curiously.

Amber jerked her arm away and walked up to Lily. "Do you have any idea what has been going on between Ephram and me in the past couple of weeks?"

"I'm not worried about it." Lily replied shaking her head. "We weren't going out then."

Amber continued, "Well I think you need to know. He wanted to forget about you and that's what I helped him do." She paused, trying to find the right words for what she was about to say next. "We did things that I have never done with a boy before. And he is just tossing me aside like I'm nothing. That's not right."

Lily looked over at Ephram in shock. He groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"Why don't you just ask him about it?" Amber suggested.

"Is what she's saying true?" Lily asked.

Ephram put his hands down and looked at her solemnly, "Partly. But it's not like it sounds."

Lily shook her head in disappointment. "Apparently you two have some stuff to work out." She turned and walked away.

"Why did you tell her that?" Ephram asked Amber.

"She has a right to know what kind of a guy you are."

"Ugh," he groaned. "I can't believe this."

Amber shook her head at Ephram and then walked back to his house. He followed her, hoping he would be able to convince her to take back what she had told Lily. However, as soon as they got to his house, she walked over to her car to leave.

"Wait. I think we have more things to talk about."

"I'm done talking to you, Ephram." With that she got in her car and drove away.

Please Read and Review!


	52. Working It Out

"Were you ever going to ring the doorbell?" Lily asked Ephram who was standing on her front porch. "I heard your car pull up five minutes ago."

"I was debating whether or not I should even be here," he answered honestly. "I never seem to know what to do anymore when it comes to us."

Lily opened the front door. "Come in before you freeze."

He walked in cautiously, following her to the couch. He took his coat off before sitting down next to her. He looked around for her mom, hoping she was out of earshot.

"She's in her room, talking to David on the phone," Lily said after noticing him looking around.

He nodded, thankful for the momentary privacy. "I want to clarify what Amber said."

Lily patted his knee and shook her head. "You don't have too. I just want to make everything work out with us. And right now I don't want another excuse to run. As long as I don't know for sure what happened, I can pretend nothing happened. At least for a while, until we get us figured out."

"You don't understand. I have to tell you because it is not what you're thinking. Amber and I just made out a few times, that's it. I think she was referring to the fact that she's never made out with a guy she wasn't officially dating. I wasn't planning on ever making a move with her. But that night I saw you kissing that guy...I-I just lost it. I was so angry and I wanted you out of my head. After that Amber thought we were going out. She's a nice girl and I felt bad because she did like me, so I went on a couple of dates with her. Plus it felt good to be with someone."

"Wow." Lily was pleasantly surprised by his confession. "So you and her just kissed, that's it?"

"That's it." He nodded.

"Good." She smiled at him. "It would have hurt me if I found out you two had...you know...done something. Not because I think we should be each other's first. Just because you don't really know her and it would put you at a different level than me. It would just be awkward for me." She looked behind her, making sure her mom was still in her bedroom before continuing. She leaned in closer to him and lowered her voice, just in case. "Honestly, the idea of being naked in front of someone, especially a guy, is intimidating. And if you had been with Amber, then I would be even more threatened, because I would be compared to her. It's a lot less scary knowing you are still just as inexperienced as I am."

"So what your saying is there is a possibility that you and I will..." He trailed off, letting her fill in the blank herself.

She rolled her eyes, "You are such a guy sometimes."

"You can't say you haven't thought of it before."

"This conversation is now over. If you want to talk about this ever again, it will be when we are alone, not with my mom right down the hall." Lily got up, grabbed his hand and led him to the door. She reached up and kissed him. "I will see you tomorrow morning. Good night."

He kissed her back. "Good night, Lily." He walked out the front door, a smile on his lips.

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Ephram walked into his house after school the next day. He tossed his books onto the kitchen table and headed to the refrigerator.

"Ephram!" Delia yelled as she stomped her way down the stairs.

"What's wrong?" He closed the refrigerator and rushed to the stairs.

Delia stood in front of the stairs with her arms crossed. "What did you do to Savanna's sister?"

"Savanna's sister?" He asked her, before realizing who she was talking about. "You mean Amber?"

She nodded. "Savanna wouldn't even talk to me today. She said you hurt her sister and she doesn't want to be friends with someone whose brother is mean."

"Savanna shouldn't stop being your friend because of me."

"Well she did. And now you have to fix it. Savanna is my best friend and if you don't fix it I will tell dad. And he will make you fix it."

He sighed reluctantly. "Fine, I'll try. But I don't know if I'll be able to fix it."

"You better." Delia glared once more at her brother before stomping her way back up the stairs.

He walked over to the phone begrudgingly and dialed Amber's number. After a couple of rings her mom answered. He asked for Amber and a minute later she came to the phone.

"Hello," she asked.

"Amber, it's me Ephram."

"What do you want?" Her tone became harsh once she found out who it was.

"I know you're mad at me and that's fine. But now your sister won't talk to my sister. They shouldn't stop being friends because of what happened between us."

"And you called just to get me to talk to Savanna? Not to apologize?"

"Yeah, I mean for the most part."

"Goodbye Ephram."

"Wait. Amber." He tried to keep her from hanging up. "I am sorry for what happened and that I hurt you."

She sighed, "I'll see what I can do about my sister."

"Thank you," he replied, but she had already hung up.

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"How's Amy doing?" Dr. Brown asked his son at dinner.

"Um, fine I guess. I haven't talked to her recently. Why? Is something wrong?" Ephram asked concerned.

"Colin went into the hospital last Tuesday. He's still there."

"What happened? I thought he was doing well."

Dr. Brown shook his head solemnly, "We all thought he was. But Tuesday night he had a seizure and his parents admitted him to the ER. I went to the hospital and ran some tests. It appears as though the tumor in his brain has grown back."

"So what happens now?"

"Most likely more surgery. But he is too weak right now to go into surgery. I will have to wait until he gets his strength back."

"Wow." Ephram couldn't believe Amy hadn't come to talk to him. He felt guilty for not being there for her.

"I know you have a lot going on in your life right now. But it would be a good idea if you made some room for Amy. Dr. Abbott said she hasn't been sleeping or eating very well since Colin went into the hospital."

Ephram nodded, "Yeah, I'll definitely talk to her. I can't believe I didn't even notice something was bothering her."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Things have been rough for you lately. But now you know and you can be there for her." Dr. Brown reassured his son.

Ephram nodded in agreement. He looked over at Delia and noticed she was glaring at him. "I talked to Amber and she's going to talk to Savanna."

"It better work." She said firmly.

Ephram shook his head slightly before turning back to his dinner.

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"Hey Amy," Ephram called through the hallway as he jogged up to her.

She gave him a weak smile. "Hi."

Right away Ephram noticed how tired she looked. It was the same way she had looked when Colin got sick the previous year. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed until now.

"How's Colin doing? My dad told me he's in the hospital."

"Not good. He needs more surgery. And every surgery your dad does is risky." Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. She turned away, embarrassed to be breaking down in front of Ephram.

He furrowed his brow in concern. "I'm sorry I've been so distant lately. But never hesitate to come to me. Anything I can do for you, tell me. I want to be here for you."

She wiped her eyes and smiled at him politely. "I know you have had a lot on your mind lately. I'm doing okay so far. Bright's been going with me to the hospital which has helped out a lot."

"You don't have to wait until you have a break down to come to me. Even if you just need to talk. I'm never to busy to be your friend."

"Thank you," she replied sincerely. "The same goes for me. Well I better get to class. I'll see you later Ephram."

They told each other goodbye before heading off to their respective classrooms.

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Ephram looked around the lunchroom table at his girlfriend and his two friends. "I was thinking we could invite Amy to hang out with us on Saturday."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that is such a good idea. She will feel like the fifth wheel. You two could hang out on Friday or something."

"Yeah, but if we hang out alone I know she will still be worrying about Colin. But if she hangs out with all of us, it will be easier for her to not worry about him. We could invite Bright too, so she won't feel so weird." Ephram watched their reactions for approval.

April piped in. "I agree with Ephram. Bright and Amy need a day of fun."

Wendell shook his head. "I'm with Lily. The only link we have to Amy and Bright is Ephram. Not to mention the fact that Lily and Amy don't like each other very much. It's bound to be disastrous."

"Lily and Amy could get along under the right circumstances," Ephram defended his idea. "And Bright has been friendly to me since Colin got sick last year. I think it would work out."

"It looks like we are split on the idea," Lily pointed out.

"It's worth a shot to ask if they even want to hang out with us. They could be the tie breaker. For all I know they could say no." Ephram replied.

Everyone nodded in agreement with Ephram's idea. That was really the only fair way to solve the issue.

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Ephram squeezed Lily's hand as they walked to the school parking lot. "Look, there's Bright and Amy up ahead. I can ask them now."

Lily nodded and followed him as they approached Bright and Amy.

"Hey," Ephram greeted them.

Bright turned and smiled when he saw Lily and Ephram. "What's up?"

Amy smiled at them and Lily did the same hoping her smile looked genuine.

"I actually came over to ask you both something." Ephram looked first at Bright and then at Amy.

"What is it?" Amy asked. She shifted her textbooks to her other hand and watched Ephram with curiosity.

"This Saturday me, Lily, Wendell and April are going over to April's house to watch some movies and just hang out. We were wondering if you guys would like to come too."

"Thanks for the offer," Amy responded, "But unless Colin is out of the hospital by then, we will be spending our Saturday there."

"Come on," Bright spoke up. "We have been there everyday since he went in. We can set aside a few hours to hang out with friends."

Amy turned to her brother with a look of disapproval on her face. "You're not going to bail on him like you did last year are you?"

Bright sighed heavily, "Nooo! We can spend the morning there. Besides if Colin knew we were passing up hanging out with our friends to go see him, he would be upset. He would want us to enjoy our Saturday."

"I enjoy visiting him though." Amy kept her gaze fixed on Bright.

He shook his head, "I know you do. But it will just be a few hours. You know dad would call us if anything changes with him."

"Fine. I'll go." Amy said finally giving in.

Ephram wasn't too pleased with the way she said it, but he knew she was just worried about Colin. He just hoped it would give her an opportunity to relax for a while. He knew how wrapped up she was in Colin and he didn't want her to become worn down and distant like she did last year.

"Okay, so just let us know hen you have all the details." Bright said, a smile still on his face.

Ephram agreed and then said his goodbyes. Once they were out of earshot Lily spoke up. "Do you really think this is going to work out?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "But I really want it to."

"I promise I'll try to be friendly to Amy and her brother. If this is important to you, I want it to work out too."

Ephram looked at her and smiled. "Have I told you lately you're awesome?"

"No," she shook her head with a grin.

He stopped and turned to face her. "Well, you are very awesome." He cupped her chin and kissed her tenderly.


	53. Games

Ephram looked around April's living room at the group of teenagers. On the loveseat by the window sat Wendell and April. To the left of them sat Ephram, who was in between Amy and Lily. And Bright was sitting in the recliner next to the couch.

Ephram could tell Amy was still thinking of Colin and wasn't paying much attention to the movie. Lily sat next to him, focused on the T.V., but he didn't think she was paying much attention either. Bright and Wendell were the only two who seemed to be giving the movie any attention and they laughed and made comments continuously. April joined in on the comments occasionally, but even she looked uneasy. Ephram sighed inwardly. Lily had warned him that this would turn out bad, but he had wanted it to work out so much, he went through with it anyway.

Lily leaned over to Ephram. "I'm gonna go get something to drink. Do you want anything?"

"Actually I think I'll go with you." He got up from the couch, taking the opportunity to talk with her alone.

Once in the kitchen Lily headed to the refrigerator. "What do you want?" She asked as she rummaged through the beverages.

He walked over to her, leaning his right shoulder against the corner of the fridge. "Whatever you get." He paused. "I think you should make an effort to talk to Amy. You've managed to talk to Bright."

She handed him a coke and shut the door. "Actually Bright's been talking to me. I don't know what to say to Amy. Besides we're watching a movie. Striking up a conversation in the middle of it would be odd."

He gave her a pained expression.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," he said cheerfully, kissing her quickly in appreciation.

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Lily waited a few minutes after they had returned from the kitchen before talking to Amy. She didn't want Amy to know Ephram had asked Lily to talk to her. When the moment seemed as right as it was ever going to be Lily spoke up.

"So, Amy, do you like the movie so far?"

Amy hesitated, caught off guard by Lily's question. "Yeah. It's okay."

Lily nodded her head and tried to think of something else to say.

"This movie rocks," Bright chimed in enthusiastically, smiling at Lily.

Amy frowned at her brother's comment. "It's good to know you can forget Colin so easily."

Bright glared back at his sister, "Not this again. Just because I can enjoy a movie doesn't mean I forgot him."

"How is he doing anyway," Lily asked, trying to ease the tension.

"Better," Bright answered, "He has gained some more strength back."

Amy turned her attention to Lily. "Don't ask how he's doing. It's not like you care. You are just trying to make conversation."

"Excuse me," Lily was indignant. "I do too care how he's doing."

"Just cuz you dated him for a minute doesn't mean you have the right to care." Amy spat.

"What in the hell does that even mean?" Lily fired back.

"What about the movie?" Wendell asked, pointing at the T.V. no one was watching.

Everyone ignored Wendell and continued to argue.

Bright jumped to Lily's defense. "She can ask about Colin if she wants. They are friends too."

"Shut up Bright," Amy replied. "The only reason you came tonight was to hit on Lily."

Bright's eyes widened. "You know what Amy, maybe you should go live at the hospital. It's not like..."

Ephram jumped up from the couch stopping Bright in midsentence. "Stop!"

Everyone hushed and looked up at Ephram in surprise.

He continued in a lower voice. "I just wanted to do something fun for all my friends, but evidently that is too much to ask. I thought you could at least be civil and polite to each other. I'm not forcing any of you to stay. We're going to start fresh from this point forward. No more harsh words or tension. Whoever cannot or will not follow these instructions can leave now."

Amy got up from the couch. "I'm sorry Ephram. I know your intentions were good, but I just can't...be here right now." She gave Ephram a somber look before heading to the front door.

Lily got up too and followed Amy outside. "Wait," she called after her.

Amy turned around and crossed her arms defensively.

Lily sighed, "Please stay, for Ephram."

Amy stayed silent for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm not comfortable in there."

Lily nodded in understanding. "I know. Maybe if we all played a game or did something where we could get to know each other, it wouldn't be so bad."

"I think that would make it worse."

"Look. I know you don't like me and that's fine. But Wendell and April are cool. And I know you like Ephram. I don't know how you feel about your brother, but you can at least tolerate him. So I'm the only problem and we can keep our distance. I just feel so bad that this didn't work out like Ephram wanted. He's really trying to be a friend to you."

Amy threw up her hands. "Fine. For Ephram."

Lily and Amy walked back into the house and resumed their positions on the couch. Ephram's gaze went to Amy and then Lily.

"After this movie's over we are going to do something fun together," Lily informed everyone.

Wendell raised his eyebrows suspiciously, "Something fun together? Like what?"

"Shhh," Lily shushed him, "I'm trying to watch the movie."

Wendell shook his head before turning his attention back to the T.V.

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Everyone sat around the kitchen table as Lily passed out the Uno cards.

Bright picked up his cards with a frown, "I think truth or dare would have been more fun. What better way to get to know each other."

Lily rolled her eyes, "We took a vote remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. I remember." He grunted.

"I'm with you," April said to Bright. "But Uno could be fun too."

"How bout strip Uno." Bright flashed a goofy grin.

"NO!" Lily and Amy said in unison.

"Wow, you two finally agree on something other than Ephram." Bright responded. "I think it's only fair to take another vote, since that is how we got in this mess in the first place."

"Ugh," Lily groaned.

"Everyone that wants to play strip Uno, raise your hand," Bright commanded raising his hand enthusiastically.

"Dude, your sister's here." Wendell pointed out.

"It's cool. She's good at Uno, so I'm not too worried." Bright answered.

Amy shook her head. "Give it up Bright. No one wants to play strip anything."

Bright put his hand down and sneered at his sister. "Here we are with no parents around and no possibility of them coming back before tomorrow night and we're playing Uno! There's no beer, no stupid antics, and no naked chicks. Who are you people?!"

"How if we don't strip all the way? Just to our underwear. It could be fun." April spoke up.

"No way," Amy shook her head.

"I could compromise. Okay, new vote. Raise your hand if you want to play partial strip Uno." Bright raised his hand once again.

April was the second one to raise her hand. Lily looked at her friend in surprise.

Wendell peeked in his jeans before also raising his hand.

"What were you doing?" Ephram asked Wendell.

"Just making sure my underwear is clean." Wendell replied nonchalantly.

"So far it's a tie. I guess we'll have to flip a coin to see who wins." Bright reached in his pocket and pulled out a dime. "Heads we strip, tails we don't"

"Hold up." Lily spoke up. "I want someone else to flip the coin. Someone more trustworthy."

"Hey." Bright was indignant. "I'm trustworthy."

"We all have something at stake, so none of us are trustworthy." Ephram pointed out.

"Bright and I will play paper, rock, scissors. The first win is the one that counts." Lily said.

Lily and Bright made fists and then counted to three. Bright chose rock and Lily chose scissors.

"Crap," Lily replied.

"Yes!" Bright beamed, "Looks like we're stripping."

"Thank goodness I'm good at Uno," Lily replied.

Ephram shook his head, "I'm not."

Lily put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek sympathetically. "At least you don't have to be completely naked."

He shook his head, "This isn't gonna be pretty."

Bright rubbed his hands together, "Now for the rules."

"How come you get to make the rules," Amy asked him suspiciously.

"Because it was my idea, little sis." He shook his head before continuing. "The winner of each round gets to choose who has to take of an article of clothing."

"I think whoever loses the worst, you know with the most points in their hand, should have to strip." Lily challenged Bright.

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"That makes more sense," Wendell agreed.

"And we should all start with the same number of clothes." Lily suggested.

"You know," Bright interjected, "You're really taking the fun out of this."

"So do you not want to play anymore," Lily mocked.

"Hell no. We're doing this. Underwear doesn't count, belts count as one, and each sock and shoe counts separately." Bright looked down at what he was wearing. "I have 7 things on."

"I have 8 things," Wendell answered next.

"6 for me," April replied.

"I have 7 also," Ephram was the next to answer.

Amy sighed, "For the record, this game is dumb." She counted her clothes in her head, "I have 8 things on."

"I have 8 things also." Lily answered.

"So if Wendell, Lily, and Amy take off their belts," April started, "And I put on Lily's belt, we will all have 7 things on."

"Okay!" Bright said with a huge smile. "Let's get this party started!"

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Author's Note:

I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have been super busy. I know you are probably upset about me leaving this chapter with a cliffhanger, but I did it on purpose. Since I have been so busy, it takes motivation to get me to set aside time to write. The more you review, the more I am motivated. I want to hear what you think, where you think things should go, as well as if you like the new chapter. All thoughts and ideas are welcomed. Praise is great and I love it. But when you are specific about the story and what you would like to see or not see, I like that too and take those into consideration. So please R/R.

Thanks,

Beama


	54. Author's Note

---Note from the Author---

I know I have not updated in a while. I have been too busy, plus I have only got 4 reviews since my last chapter which is kinda discouraging. Anyway, I wanted to take a poll from the readers. I have not yet written the next chapter, so your input could prove valuable. Who do you want to lose the strip Uno game? Also, is there anything else you think should happen? Please let me know your ideas. I want the next chapter to be fun as well as interesting.

Thanks,

Beama


	55. Passion

---Okay, I finally updated my story. Sorry it took so long. Hopefully the chapter is good enough to make up for the long wait. Read and review!!---

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"Looks like you lose again, Bright," Lily pointed out with a smirk, "I thought you said you were good at Uno."

Bright took a sip of his wine, which was the only alcohol April's parents had. "Maybe I just want you to appreciate my fine masculine body." He got up, taking his shirt off slowly, in an attempt to be sexy. Having had too much wine, he struggled a bit, causing everyone to laugh at his effort.

Ephram crossed his arms in front of his own bare chest, aware of his body and wishing Bright wasn't so muscular. He looked around the table at his friends. Right now he, Bright, and April were equal, with just their jeans left. It was a little weird at first, when April had lost her shirt. Seeing her sitting across the table in her black and red polka dot bra took some getting used to. But after a little bit of wine, everyone began to loosen up more. Wendell and Lily both only had their shirts and jeans left. Amy was winning and only had to take off her socks and shoes.

As the round continued, Lily muttered under her breath. Bright, who was sitting at the end of the table right next to her, kept laying down draw two cards. Amy called out Uno and Lily cursed under her breath. She had tons of points in her hand. Ephram glanced at her with a worried look. She sighed and smiled back at him weakly. Lily watched April carefully, hoping she would put down a draw two for Amy. Unfortunately, she did not and Amy put down her last card.

"Yes," she exclaimed, "I win again. This wasn't such a bad idea after all."

Bright's grin widened when he realized Lily had the most cards. After everyone counted their cards, just as Lily feared, she had the most points.

"Damn," she cussed.

Bright rubbed his hands together, smirking the whole time. "I thought you were good at Uno, Lily." He mocked.

"Shut up." She hissed, glaring at him. She wasn't as worried about being in her bra, since it wasn't very showy. What she feared was losing the next round. There was no way she wanted to strip down to her panties. Without standing up she started unbuttoning her top.

Ephram shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wishing his girlfriend didn't have to be in her bra in front of two other guys. Ever since Amy had mentioned Bright had planned on putting the moves on Lily, he had kept his eye on Bright. Sure enough, Bright had been flirting with Lily all night. Ephram lost his train of thought when he saw Lily. He sucked in his breath as he stared at her sitting next to him in her maroon bra.

"Ok, let's start this next round," Lily said crossing her hands over her chest.

"Nice bellybutton ring." Bright said, eyeing Lily. "Don't lose this round"

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't plan on it."

April took a swig of her wine before passing out the cards. She sighed, "I sure hope I don't lose this round."

Wendell wiggled his eyebrows at her, "I wouldn't mind if you lost."

Amy groaned, "Too much information."

April finished passing out the cards and after only ten minutes the round was over.

Bright threw down his cards in disgust. "This sucks." He stood up and started to unbutton his jeans. Amy jumped up from her seat, "I am not staying for this. I'll be in the living room." She rushed out of the kitchen before Bright finished taking off his pants.

Bright stepped out of his jeans and stood in front of everyone in his blue Tommy Hilfiger boxers. Lily shook her head when he started posing like he was an underwear model.

"You know you want a piece of this." Bright boasted, flexing his muscles.

"I think it's safe to say this game is over." Ephram got up from his seat and put on his shirt.

Lily nodded in agreement.

"Aww you're no fun." Bright said watching Lily as she put her shirt on.

Lily raised an eyebrow at Bright. "You might want to put your pants back on."

"Are you sure you want me to?" Bright teased.

Lily shook her head before heading into the living room with Ephram.

Bright sighed and began to put his clothes back on.

April turned to Wendell who had fallen asleep with his head resting on the table. She shook him, and he groaned, but didn't wake up.

"Bright, can you help me take Wendell to my room? I think he passed out."

Bright nodded and helped April pick Wendell up form his chair. They struggled to get the rest of Wendell's clothes on him.

"I drank more than he did and I'm fine." Bright pointed out.

"Well his tolerance for alcohol is low." April wrapped her arm around Wendell's waist and helped Bright hold him up. They headed to the stairs.

Amy walked up to Bright at the bottom of the staircase. "I want to go home now. I have to finish my homework so I can go see Colin tomorrow."

Bright groaned. "It's still early and I don't want to go home yet."

"Just drop me off and then you can come back." She started putting on her coat, assuming Bright would take her home.

Ephram and Lily walked in just at that moment.

"I don't think Bright's in any shape to drive home," Ephram interjected.

Bright nodded. "He's right. Just take the truck. One of these guys can give me a ride home later." He threw her the keys to his truck.

"Thanks," she said catching the keys.

Bright and April continued their trek up the stairs.

"I'll be right back," Ephram told Lily before heading outside with Amy. He walked with Amy down the porch stairs.

"Thanks Ephram," Amy said sincerely.

He looked at her in surprise, "Did this really help out?"

She nodded, "It did."

Ephram turned to face her once they reached the truck. "I know you're worried. But my dad, he's brilliant. I mean as far as surgery goes. The miracle has already happened Amy. Colin survived and now it's just a matter of keeping the tumor away. He's going to make it."

Amy smiled, "I'm glad you are confident. I just feel like he already had his second chance and maybe he doesn't have any more chances. But if you're strong, maybe that can help me be strong to. At least a little."

Ephram drew Amy into a hug. "Anything you need. Just ask me. I will be the strong one and you don't have to be."

Amy hugged Ephram tighter and held in the tears that were threatening to spill out. "What would I do without you, Ephram?" She whispered too softly for him to hear.

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April pulled the covers of her bed over Wendell. "At least he has a few hours to rest before he goes home."

"Are his parents gonna freak if he comes home messed up?"

"Yeah if they find out. They are having some marital problems right now and haven't had much time to notice Wendell. He could probably slip in without them finding out."

"That sucks. About his parents I mean."

April nodded. "Let's leave him alone to rest."

They walked out into the hallway and April closed the bedroom door behind them. They were about to walk downstairs when they looked down and saw Lily and Ephram sitting on the couch in the living room. They were wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing.

"Maybe we should give them some time alone. They have worked so hard to get to where they are now. We can hang out in my parent's room."

Bright snorted. "What does he have that I don't have?"

April bit her lip, not sure how to answer. "Are you asking my opinion or Lily's?"

He turned to her, "Both."

"They are in love. She doesn't even notice other guys. All she sees is Ephram."

He raised an eyebrow. "And your opinion?"

April felt a blush creep into her cheeks. "I think you are very..." she cleared her throat. "I mean a lot of girls find you attractive."

He leaned against the staircase banister with renewed confidence. "Do you?"

"Of course. And I'm sure Lily would too, if she wasn't so focused on Ephram."

Bright smiled down at April slyly, "So where is your parent's room anyway?"

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Ephram caressed Lily's cheek and smiled down at her. "You know, I've dreamed about what you would look like in your bra." He shook his head, "But damn, reality was so much better."

Lily laughed, slightly embarrassed. "I never would have pictured this night. I can't believe I had to sit there half naked, with Bright staring at me."

"Yeah. I noticed." He said slightly annoyed.

Lily leaned in and kissed him again. "You looked good yourself."

He rolled his eyes. "Do you mean before or after Bright took of his shirt."

She chuckled, "Bright has nothing on you. He's so not you."

"You sure know how to boost a guy's ego."

"I'm just being honest. You're the one who fills my head and my heart. You're the one who I dream about being with, no one else."

Ephram smiled at her. "I feel the same way about you." He ran his fingers down her arm, sending chills through her body. "We can always go somewhere else if you want to."

Lily drew in a deep breath, unsure of what he was asking. "Where do you want to go?"

He kissed her again, with more passion this time, making her light headed. "We can take the car up to The Point." He said softly, beginning to breathe heavier.

Lily hesitated, trying to uncloud her thoughts. "I-I don't know."

She closed her eyes as Ephram started kissing her again, running his hands down her back. She melted in his arms and pulled him closer to her. She kissed him back with just as much intensity, her heart swelling with love for him.

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Bright looked over at April who was sitting next to him on the edge of her parent's bed. She had turned on her parent's T.V. and was flipping through the channels carelessly. Bright decided to give up on Lily, especially since it was April who was sitting next to him at the moment. April had looked good in her bra and he was attracted to her. Plus, she had been flirting with Bright, despite her commitment to Wendell. He scooted closer to her, placing his hand on her thigh. "You looked real sexy earlier."

She stopped changing channels and turned to look at him.

He smiled at her.

She could feel the warmth of where his hand rested on her thigh. She couldn't help being attracted to him. She had been unable to keep her eyes off him all night. And here he was, flirting back with her, with no shame. She smiled back at him, "You looked real good too."

"Then I guess we are on the same page." He leaned in to kiss her. April let him kiss her and even began to kiss him back. Wendell was far from her thoughts at the moment.

"Mmmm" Bright murmured leading her down to the bed.

He began to kiss her neck and slipped his hand under her shirt. April got lost in his touch and let him take off her shirt. He took off his shirt too, throwing it onto the floor. He began kissing her again, as they continued to remove more of their clothing.

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Lily paused at the top of the staircase. "How if they ask where we are going?"

Ephram squeezed her hand, "They won't. But if they do, just say we want some fresh air."

Lily nodded. "Okay." She knocked on April's bedroom door. "April, are you in there?"

She didn't hear anything and so she pushed the door open. The room was dark and it took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the dark.

"It's just Wendell," Ephram said noticing his friend fast asleep in April's bed.

"Where could April and Bright be?" Lily asked curiously.

Ephram shrugged as they walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind them. They walked over to the room at the end of the hall. The door was closed, but light was streaming from under the door. Lily and Ephram walked to the door and Lily knocked, once again calling out April's name. No one answered, but she could hear the T.V. playing from inside. She pushed the door open and walked in.

"What the...?" Lily gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

Ephram walked into the room and his eyes widened.

That's when Bright and April noticed they were not alone.


	56. Shifting

---Author's Note---

Wow I'm on a roll! I just wanted to say I don't plan on giving up on my story. No matter how many bad reviews I might get. I don't expect my story to appeal to everyone. Just as long as someone is reading it I am cool. Well enjoy this next chapter!

-Beama-

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April Pushed Bright off of her and scrambled to put her shirt and pants back on. Bright sat on the edge of the bed in his boxers, not even attempting to put his clothes on.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Lily waved her hand in Bright's direction.

April finished zipping her pants and then sat on the bed, putting her head in her hands. "I don't know." She mumbled, shaking her head.

Bright snorted. "Don't let Lily get to you." He turned back to Lily. "She's a big girl. She doesn't need you to tell her what she can and can't do."

Lily clenched her jaw and glared at Bright. "All you want is a piece of ass. I'm not going to let April lose what she has with Wendell over a player like you."

"Oh so now you're also an expert on what I feel." Bright shot back.

April looked up at Lily. "I just got caught up in the moment. Please don't tell Wendell. It would break his heart."

Bright looked over at April in shock. "So that's it. I mean, I'm supposed to forget everything that happened because you think you just got caught up in the moment."

Ephram put his hand on Lily's shoulder. "I really think we should leave them alone."

"But..." Lily protested.

Ephram interrupted her. "This has nothing to do with us."

Lily glanced at April, who looked like she was about to cry. She then turned her gaze to Bright, trying to read his expression. She wasn't sure if she trusted leaving him alone with April. His gaze met hers and they once again exchanged dirty looks.

Lily gave in. "Fine." She said following Ephram out of the room.

Bright got up and closed the door behind them. He picked his pants off the floor and put them on before sitting down next to April.

They sat in silence for a moment. April started down at her lap at a loss for words.

Bright cleared his throat. "Look, I know we moved kinda fast...well, actually very fast. This wasn't my intention either. But I do like you April. I would like to get to know you more. Maybe take it a little bit slower."

She looked up at him with a pained expression. "Wendell is my boyfriend. I shouldn't have even..." She hesitated for a second, trying to find the right words. "It was a mistake."

He raised his eyebrows. "Was it? Because it didn't feel like a mistake until Lily and Ephram walked in."

"I cheated on Wendell. That can't be right." She said with a sigh.

"But you told me the reason Lily doesn't notice me is because she's in love with Ephram. But you noticed me, even though you're dating Wendell. There must be something wrong in your relationship if you are hooking up with other guys."

"It's not other guys, only you."

"I'm just trying to make my point."

"There are no specific problems. I'm just not used to such serious, long term relationships. Wendell's great, he's funny and sweet and I care about him." April said, opening up to Bright.

"But..." He probed.

"But sometimes I feel like he is my friend, not my boyfriend. What happened here between us, the passion and intensity, that's what I am used to. I just miss that excitement in my relationship."

Bright scooted closer to April and slipped his arm around her waist. "Then we are perfect for each other."

She looked up at his smiling face and began to feel the familiar butterflies once again. She nodded in agreement before pressing her lips against his.

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Ephram watched from the couch, as Lily paced back and forth.

"I just can't believe she would throw away all she and Wendell have."

"Please sit down," Ephram pleaded. "You're making me dizzy."

She stopped and placed her hands on her hips. "This is serious, Ephram."

"I know it is. But I'm serious that you are making me dizzy."

She sat down with an exaggerated sigh. "What am I gonna do?"

"You should talk to her. Find out the whole story. Maybe she and Wendell are having problems. We haven't exactly been the most attentive friends to them lately."

"You're right. I have no idea what is going on in her life. She has been such a great friend to me and here I am yelling at her without finding out the whole story. I'm a terrible friend."

Ephram draped his arm across Lily's shoulders and hugged her to him. "You're not a terrible friend. You still have a chance to make it up to her. Just apologize and give her a chance to talk to you."

She nodded. "Definitely."

"But right now I think we need to leave and let April and Bright talk."

"How if they aren't talking?" Lily asked concerned.

Ephram shrugged, "That's not our business."

"Okay." She agreed.

They put on their coats and headed out the door. The freezing air quickly cooled Lily's burning cheeks. She took in a deep breath enjoying the chilly night air.

"So..." Ephram slipped his hand into Lily's. "Do you still want to go to The Point?"

She stayed silent, thinking about his proposition. She had already agreed earlier, but that seemed like ages ago. She stayed silent as they walked to his car.

Once they had reached his car, Ephram stood in front of her holding both of her hands. "Just because we go up to The Point, doesn't mean we have to do anything you don't want to do. It's just that I've missed you so much. I want to spend as much time as I can with you." He leaned forward, brushing his lips softly against hers.

She pulled back after a few seconds. "I don't think we should go."

"Is everything alright," he asked curiously.

She nodded. "Yes. I just don't want to move too fast. And I don't trust myself right now, to be alone with you."

"Okay." He kissed her again, reassuring her he was fine with her decision.

And with that, they headed home.

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Ephram stretched out on his bed, going over the events of the night in his head. He hadn't intended for it to turn out the way it did, but it wasn't a total loss. Amy had fun and was able to get her mind off Colin for a moment, which had been his ultimate goal.

And he had to be honest and admit April and Bright also had a good time. And as far as he knew, Wendell was still clueless to the events that had unfolded. So for now everything was okay.

The biggest surprise for him had been all that had transpired between him and Lily. Although they hadn't actually taken their relationship to the next level, he was certain he felt a shift. The door had been opened in his opinion and it was only a matter of time before they had to begin talking about the possibility of sex. Thinking about it scared him, yet he had been so comfortable with the idea when he was with Lily. He wondered about her feelings. They hadn't talked about it on the way home. He just hoped they would be comfortable talking about it with each other.

His thoughts wandered to the image of Lily in her bra. He smiled to himself letting the thought linger in his head as he drifted off to sleep.

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Lily sat on her bed, writing in her notebook.

**Feb. 21, 2004**

_I can't believe what a neglectful friend I have been lately. I have been so wrapped up in my own life, I haven't even bothered paying attention to April. She has been so supportive of me these past few months. Yet I ignore her. I am so anxious to make things right. I wish I could talk to her now and explain from this day forward I am gonna be the best friend I can be. _

_And then there's Ephram! I almost went up to The Point with him. And who knows what would have happened. This isn't me, getting so close to...I don't even want to write it, I am so disappointed in my lack of self-control. I've made out with guys before and never once have I had the desire to do anything more. And I don't even want to think what would happen if Ephram and I went all the way and my mom found out! She would probably send me away to some all girls' school. That is her worst fear that I will end up a young mother like her._

_Sitting here writing this I am so rational. But today when I was with Ephram, it was as if all my rational thoughts had packed up and went on vacation! I think our time apart, although fairly short time wise, really made an impact. I feel like we are stronger now and closer. It might just be the newness of being together again. I could just be overreacting._

_And how does he feel about all this? Maybe I was reading him wrong, he might not even have been thinking of sex....Who am I kidding? I know I was reading him correctly. We were on the same page! _

Lily shut her notebook quickly as her mom entered her room.

Mrs. Anders sat on the edge of the bed. "How was your night?"

"Good." Lily answered vaguely.

Mrs. Anders nodded without prodding further. "May will be upon us in no time and I really want to start planning the wedding."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "I thought it was going to be a small wedding in our backyard?"

"It is. But even a small wedding has to be planned. I was thinking orange and yellow as the colors. And I would like my bouquet to have sunflowers in it. What do you think?"

Lily shrugged unenthusiastically. "Sounds good to me."

Her mom sighed. "I wish you would put more interest in this for me."

"It's just hard to think about your wedding since you just got engaged like several days ago. Give me some time to get used to the idea."

Mrs. Anders got up from the bed. "Well I hope you get used to it soon. I would really like your involvement."

Lily watched as her mom left the room. She opened her notebook again.

_By the way, weddings suck. Especially when it's your mom and not your dad. The upside – I only have to live with David for a year then I am outta this house for good!_

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April put her car in park in front of the Abbott's house. She turned to Bright who was in the passenger's seat. "Thanks for helping me sneak Wendell into his room."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's the least I could do, considering he's gonna hate me soon enough. When are you planning on telling him anyway?"

"Soon." She answered. "Tomorrow if possible."

"And what do you plan on telling him?" He inquired further.

"As much of the truth as I think he can handle."

Bright nodding in understanding. "Well you have my number. Call me and let me know how it turns out and where we stand."

She nodded.

He leaned over and kissed her once more for good measure. He smiled at her and then exited her car. April sat there for a second, catching her breath. She watched as he walked into his house before finally driving off.


	57. I'm Sorry

A/N I Know, I know, it's been a while since I've updated. I have been really busy. But here it is. I will try to be better now that I am not as busy. Please review, that is a great motivator.

Beama

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Lily shifted her feet uncomfortably as she waited on April's front porch. She had been rehearsing what she would say in her head. Apologizing had never been a strong suite of hers. But in this case, she knew she was wrong and she hoped to mend any hurt she had caused. She watched the door anxiously, seconds passing for minutes in her head. It seemed like forever before the front door finally opened.

April smiled when she saw Lily and opened the door to let her in. Lily walked into the house, reassured by her friend's smile.

Before April could even greet her, Lily rushed into her apology. "April, I am so sorry for the way I acted and the things I said last night. I have been so neglectful of you and your life. I had no right to judge you."

April drew her friend into a hug. "It's okay. You were just shocked." She pulled away and that's when Lily noticed April's eyes were red and puffy.

"What's wrong April? Were you crying?" Lily asked sympathetically.

April nodded and fresh tears started to slide down her cheeks. Lily took April's arm and led her to the couch. "I want to know what happened." Lily stated after they had sat down.

April nodded, wiping her cheeks. "I care about Wendell. I really do." She sniffled before continuing. "But we feel like friends and honestly I think we are better as friends. I just don't feel the way I should about Wendell."

Lily wrinkled her brow, trying to understand where her friend was coming from. "Did you just realize this last night? How do you feel about Bright?"

"I've felt this way about Wendell for a while now." April shook her head. "But I thought maybe I was overreacting. But after last night…There is just more chemistry between me and Bright."

"So what are you going to do?"

April sighed heavily. "That's the thing. I went over to Wendell's earlier to break up with him. But as soon as I got there he hugged me and told me how glad he was to see me. Apparently his mom left last night. And now his parents are getting a divorce."

"Whoa."

April nodded. "There's no way I could break his heart at a time like this."

"So what did you do?"

"I comforted him and never told him about Bright. But I want to be with Bright. I don't know what to do."

"Wow April. I don't even know what to tell you."

"Tell me what you would do."

Lily shook her head slightly. "That's so hard to say. It's hard to put myself in your situation."

"Okay." April thought for a second. "Let's say you are dating a guy other than Ephram who you like a lot but there isn't a lot of chemistry. He is more like a friend. Then you end up making out with Ephram, who you have tons of chemistry with. What would you do then?"

"I would choose Ephram." Lily answered without hesitation.

"Exactly. But how am I gonna break up with Wendell?"

"You should first wait it out. Make sure he's doing okay with the family stuff and then break up with him as gently as possible."

"How if it takes months for him to be okay?"

"I wouldn't wait for him to be completely fine, just in a position that you would feel okay with breaking it off."

April nodded, "That makes sense."

"Have you talked to Bright since last night?" Lily inquired.

April shook her head no.

"Can I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

April nodded in agreement.

"Did you and Bright…have sex?"

"No." April answered honestly.

"Would you have? If Ephram and I wouldn't have walked in?"

"Probably."

"What about you and Wendell?"

"No, we've never gone all the way."

"Have you ever?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yes. Have you?'

Lily shook her head. "No."

"Not even with Ephram?" April asked not hiding her shock. "I thought you were both in love."

"We are. But that is a huge step."

"That's why I did it. Just to get it over with. It was always there looming over my head."

"Doesn't sound very romantic."

April laughed slightly. "It wasn't really. That's why this whole thing with Bright is so amazing. When we kissed…it was like…incredible."

Lily wrinkled her brow, still trying to understand her friend. "It wasn't like that when you first got with Wendell?"

"Not really. It was just comfortable, you know. He makes me feel safe."

Lily nodded although it was sad to hear. She liked Wendell and April together. She knew Wendell really cared for April and maybe even loved her. She remembered how self conscious Ephram was around Bright, so she couldn't imagine how Wendell would feel once he found out he lost his girlfriend to Bright. She was trying to understand where April was coming from, but it was difficult. It sounded to her like all that was between April and Bright was physical attraction. But what Wendell and April had seemed to be more meaningful.

She sighed inwardly. _But what do I know? I haven't been paying any attention to their relationship. Wendell may feel like they have drifted apart too. But right now I have to be a friend to April, whether or not I understand her reasoning._

April's face lit up as an idea popped in her head. "Maybe Ephram could talk to him for me."

"I don't know." Lily answered concerned.

"If he could just drop some hints, kinda test the waters for me."

"I don't know if he'd do that," Lily shook her head.

"He would if you asked him to."

Lily looked at April, who gave her the best puppy dog face she could muster. "Please Lily. At least ask him for me."

"Ugh" Lily groaned dramatically. "I guess I could possibly do that for you."

_Why am I saying yes? How could this turn any way other then sour? _Lily smiled at April despite the doubts in her head.

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Lily sat beside Ephram on his bed, listening to the piano music drifting from his stereo. She had come over as soon as she left April's house. Ephram had rushed her upstairs before she could even mention April's favor.

After the song had ended, Ephram turned to Lily, a huge grin on his face. "So what do you think?"

"I like it. It's very smooth." Lily answered truthfully.

"Smooth huh?" He wrinkled his brow before continuing. "This is the piece my piano teacher wants me to learn. He said if I play this at the recital I will stand out from everyone else. He said the Julliard representatives will be able to see my talent shine through."

"Wow. That's impressive. Do you think you can learn it in two months?"

"If I practice enough."

Lily smiled at him. "That's so awesome, Ephram."

"Yeah I thought so too." He got up from the bed to turn off his stereo. "Wouldn't it be great if Julliard sees me play this piece and accepts me into their University right then? I could spend my last year of high school with no pressure." He jumped on the bed pinning Lily under him. He kissed her hard on the lips. He pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. "Do you have any idea how exciting this is?"

Lily laughed.

"I really don't think you understand the magnitude of what is going on here. I am going to rock this recital." He began tickling her without mercy.

"No…stop…" She cried out in between her fits of laughter. "I under..stand." She wiggled beneath him trying to break free. But he was stronger than her and her attempts were in vain. Tears started falling down her cheeks, she was laughing so hard. "Please…" she giggled.

Finally Ephram stopped his torture. He looked down at her and shook his head.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I was just thinking about how beautiful you are."

She pulled him down closer to her and thanked him with a kiss. Ephram deepened the kiss, pressing himself tighter against her. Lily felt her heart race faster as they kissed. Her head began to swim in the familiar way it always did whenever they kissed. He pulled his mouth from hers and began to gently kiss her neck.

"Oh. Ephram." She whispered, trying to keep her thoughts rational. She put her hands on his chest, and pushed him off her. She quickly sat up on the bed, trying to catch her breath.

"What's wrong?" he asked quizzically. He sat down next to her, watching her closely.

"We just have to be more careful."

"Because my dad is home?"

"No. I mean, yes, but…not just that."

His raised his eyebrows in response.

"It's just…" Lily searched for the right words. "I love you and I am very attracted to you. That can be a dangerous combination."

He laughed slightly. "Dangerous?"

"Yes." She defended. "It's difficult to think straight when we are so…close…like how we were. If we aren't careful we could end up…you know…" her voice trailed off and her cheeks began to burn.

"Since when is this hard for you to talk about? You're the one who used to always be comfortable talking about sex."

"Well that was when we were friends and we were talking in a more general sense. Now we are going out and talking about us."

He nodded in understanding. "Just tell me where you stand and I will respect that."

"What about where you stand? How if we feel different?"

He shrugged. "Then we deal with it."

She bit her lip nervously. "I'm not ready to do more than kiss." She turned to him, watching his reaction. "What about you?"

He smiled slightly to reassure her. "I am ready when you are."

"Seriously?"

He nodded.

"So if I wanted to do it right now you would?" Lily inquired.

"Well we'd have to go somewhere else. My dad is home."

She punched his shoulder playfully. "But basically you are ready now?"

He nodded. "Of course I would be nervous as hell, but pretty much I'm ready." He leaned over and cupped her chin in his hand. "I love you so much. I couldn't imagine anyone else I would want my first time to be with." He kissed her lightly on the lips.

She smiled at him. "Thanks for being so cool about it."

"Of course." He returned the smile. The he got up and opened his bedroom door. "Maybe this will help us to keep our hands off each other."

She threw his pillow at him.

"Hey. I'm trying to be helpful here." He sat back down beside her.

"You never asked why I came over today?"

"It wasn't to make out with me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not exactly. April wanted me to ask you a favor."

"You and April are friends still?"

"Yeah. I apologized today."

"I'm glad it worked out." He replied sincerely. "So what's the favor?"

Lily told him about April's situation and explained what April wanted him to do.

His reaction was what Lily had expected.

"I don't know." He was skeptical. "Wendell and I don't talk in hints. It's pretty much straight forward. I don't think he'd catch on."

"Yeah. I figured as much."

He shook his head. "Poor Wendell. He is gonna be crushed. I'll try to talk to him. Maybe it'll make things better."

"Maybe," Lily repeated, although she had a gut feeling it wouldn't.


	58. Important Author's Note

A/N-I am SO sorry. I know I have not updated in forever. I have gotten so busy. Plus after a while I wasn't even sure if I should update. It has been so long, I don't even know if anyone is still into the story. Please let me know if you are still interested. If so I will update and take time to keep up with the story. Things should be settling down in the next week or so. You can review to let me know what you think or email me. And don't worry I still have plenty of ideas for the story, if I do continue with it.

Thanks,

beama


	59. Tangled Up in Me

A/N FINALLY! I know it has been forever. Thank you so much for all the awesome support. It really encouraged me to make sure I took the time to write a new chapter. I tried to give it a lot of meat, to make up for my lack of updates recently. Like always, RR. I love comments!

Beama

-

Wendell shook his head. "I'm sorry I was MIA the last half of Saturday. I guess I don't hold my alcohol very well."

"Don't worry about," Ephram shrugged it off. "Hey so do you want to hang out after school? Maybe play some video games?" He cleared his throat, hoping he didn't sound suspicious.

Wendell nodded. "Cool."

April glanced up at that moment and saw Bright walk past their lunch table. They caught each other's eye and he nodded his head, motioning for her to follow him. April watched as he walked out of the cafeteria and then she got up from the table.

"Nature calls," she lied, before leaving.

Lily and Ephram had noticed Bright, but Wendell hadn't even put the two together.

"So what happened after I passed out on Saturday?" Wendell asked, going back to the original conversation.

Lily bit her lip and Ephram coughed slightly.

"Um…"Lily started.

"Actually, we were kinda busy and not really paying attention." Ephram finished for her.

Wendell grinned. "I see."

Ephram sighed inwardly. He had no idea how he was going to be able talk to Wendell about April.

-

April pulled away from Bright and tried to catch her breath. "We need to be careful." She drew in a deep breath before continuing. "How if Wendell sees us?"

"Well then talk to him."

"I'm going to, I just haven't found the right moment yet."

Bright cupped her chin and shook his head. "There will never be a right moment. You are gonna crush him no matter when you do it. You mine as well do it now and get it over with."

"Well, when you put it that way," She replied sarcastically.

"I'm not trying to be harsh. But it's the truth."

She shook her head remorsefully, "I never intended to hurt him."

"I know." Bright tilted her chin and kissed her softly on the lips. "I better go. Call me tonight. We can talk some more about what to do."

April nodded as she watched him go. She leaned against the wall and sighed, a deep, regretful sigh.

-

Ephram tossed Wendell a coke before sitting next to him on the couch. They had just spent the last hour and a half playing video games. They stopped to take a break and Ephram knew he would have to talk to his friend now. He still hadn't found the right words to say. He forged ahead anyway, with the hope that the right words would find their way out of his mouth. He leaned back on the couch trying to look casual.

"So how are things going?"

Wendell took a swig of his soda before answering. "Besides the fact that my parents are getting a divorce, I'm doing okay." He tried to make light of his situation, in his usual fashion.

Ephram's face registered shock and he pretended like he didn't already know. "Wow. That sucks."

Wendell nodded. "I don't even know what's gonna happen. I talked to my brother and he said I could stay with him for a while if I wanted."

"And he lives in Denver right?"

"Yeah. One of his roommates moved out in January, so he said I could stay in the extra room if I wanted."

"What about school?" Ephram inquired.

Wendell shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I said I was going. Just that it's an option."

Ephram nodded in understanding.

"I doubt I'll go though. I have all the support I need here. And I definitely don't want to leave April. Not when things are going so well."

Ephram almost choked on his coke after Wendell's last statement. _He really has no clue that his relationship with April is about to end, _Ephram thought, feeling bad for his friend all over again. He almost didn't say anything, but then he put himself in Wendell's shoes. Ephram knew he would want some warning if he were Wendell.

"So how good are things going with you and April?"

Wendell threw him a funny look. "What do you mean?"

"I know I've been pretty wrapped up in my own relationship, I haven't even asked how your relationship was going. I'm just trying to catch up."

"I'm really starting to fall for her dude. I just feel so comfortable around her. I think she might be the one."

"The one what? Like the one you want to marry?"

"Marry?" Wendell laughed at his friend. "Man, sometimes I think you're from another planet," he shook his head. "I mean the one I go all the way with."

"Oh. That's pretty big. Are you sure?"

"What? Is there like a woman trapped in your body or something? You should be giving me a high five or slapping me on the back or something."

"I'm just being realistic. Have you and April even discussed it?"

Wendell frowned at his friend. "I am putting a stop to this conversation before it becomes an after-school special." Wendell picked up his game controller.

Ephram groaned inwardly. _I am a total dork. I should have known this idea would fail. Why couldn't I be just as clueless as Wendell? Why do I have to know that April is cheating on him? Guys don't hint at stuff, that's just not how we operate. Wendell probably has no clue why I overreacted about him and April._

Ephram picked up his controller, and attempted to forget about what had just happened.

-

"You really need to tell April about your conversation with Wendell." Lily looked up at Ephram who was lying next to her on the couch.

He groaned and leaned back in to kiss her. She put her finger over his lips to stop him. "I'm serious. This is going to be even harder on Wendell then she originally thought."

He moved her finger from his lips. "There will be time enough for that. Here we are with the house all to ourselves. My dad is hours away at the hospital in Denver checking on Colin. My sister is at Nina's house. And here you are trying to talk." He leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips. "First of all, I don't want to talk." He moved lower and planted a kiss on her neck. "Second of all, even if I did want to talk," he moved even lower and planted a kiss on her left shoulder, "it wouldn't be about Wendell and April. I've had enough of that for today." He moved lower still, but she stopped him before he could kiss anywhere else.

"I think you need to start heading north." She informed him.

"You're no fun." He whined, before moving up and kissing her once again on the lips. Just as they began kissing the doorbell rang. Ephram groaned and got up from the couch. He opened the door, and an anxious looking April rushed past him and into the house.

"Come on in," He joked as he shut the front door.

"Did you talk to him?" She asked wringing her hands nervously.

Ephram nodded.

"And?" She asked.

"I really don't think now is a good time to break up with him. He doesn't think anything is wrong."

"What did you say to him? I want to know everything."

"Everything?" Ephram winced, not wanting to relive the conversation again.

Ephram led her to the couch.

"Lily. Hey. I didn't even see you." April smiled half-heartedly.

Lily returned the smile and made room for them on the couch.

Ephram recounted his story in all its glory for April. She listened intently, without interruption.

"There you go." He concluded, hoping it was the last time he had to tell the story.

"What am I going to do?"

"Let him down easy," Lily advised. "Maybe start pulling away slowly so he won't be totally thrown when you break it off."

Ephram laughed sarcastically. "I can tell you from experience that still doesn't help much."

"Well then what do you suggest," Lily challenged.

He threw up his hands in defeat. "I don't know. This situation is going to suck for Wendell no matter what." He turned to April, "Unless he breaks up with you, there is really no way to salvage his heart or his pride."

April snapped her fingers. "That's it! You're a genius Ephram!"

He looked at her dumbfounded, not quite clear on what he said that made him a genius.

Lily shook her head. "How would you do it? It won't work?"

"It could." April defended. "You heard Ephram. Wendell wants to sleep with me. If we could replace me with a girl that would be willing to give in…"

Realizing what they were talking about, Ephram interrupted April. "What? You think Wendell is that shallow? That hooking him up with some girl will make him forget you?"

"I don't think he's shallow. But I also don't think our feelings are anything close to what you and Lily have. Sure he likes me, but I think I am replaceable, given the right substitute."

He was about to protest some more when the phone rang. He got up to answer it, semi-relieved to be getting away from the discussion.

"Hello" he answered.

He heard his dad's voice on the other end. "I can't talk long. I'm about to go into surgery. It's Colin. Can you come to the hospital? The Abbott's are on their way and I think Amy could use a friend right now."

"Sure. Of Course."

"Thanks Son."

"Bye dad." Ephram hung up the phone and rushed to the couch where Lily and April were still talking about Wendell.

"That was my dad. He is going to operate on Colin. He wants me to go to the hospital so I can be there for Amy."

Lily nodded. "Okay."

"Can I go?" April asked.

Ephram frowned.

"Please. I want to be there for Bright."

Ephram didn't like the idea, but he agreed anyway. He figured Bright might want April there. If nothing else she could cheer him up.

"Let me go call Nina and see if she can watch Delia." Ephram said, before walking off to get the phone.

"I don't think he approves of me and Bright." April said, her voice low.

"Wendell's his friend and he doesn't want to see him get hurt."

"Neither do I." April said sincerely.

"I know." Lily replied, with a nod.

"Ready to go," Ephram asked as he walked back to the living room.

April nodded, getting up from the couch. Lily followed suit and they all headed outside.

Ephram laced his fingers with Lily's, "I'll drop you off." He kissed her quickly before they got into his car.

-

Ephram and April rushed into the hospital lobby. They saw the Abbott's and Colin's parents all sitting together. Amy heard them approach and looked up to see who it was. As soon as she realized it was Ephram she jumped up and hugged him.

"Thank you for coming." She said, choking back the fresh tears that started to fall.

"Of course," He responded, hugging her tightly.

"Hey," Bright greeted them. He motioned for April to sit in the seat next to him.

Amy and Ephram sat down too, as Dr. Abbott began to explain what was happening. Colin had gotten a lot of his strength back and so they were planning on doing the surgery on Saturday. They ran a scan first to get an updated picture of the tumor. Apparently it had metastasized almost 20 since last week's scan. Dr. Brown said that was abnormal and they needed to do the surgery now to prevent further damage to Colin's brain.

"The risks are the same as they were during his last surgery." Dr. Abbott concluded. "Lucky for us Dr. Brown is during the surgery. If anyone can perform miracles, it's that man."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They all sat there, quiet for a moment. Each person thinking their own thoughts.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Abbott broke the silence by rummaging through her purse. She pulled out some change and handed it to Bright. "Why don't you kids go get something with sugar? It'll make you feel better."

Bright took the change and led Amy, April, and Ephram to the vending machines down the hall.

"I don't know what's worse," Bright said as they walked down the corridor. "The pain I feel having my best friend in the operating room, or the pain I see on the Harts' faces."

"Did anyone tell Laine?" Ephram inquired.

Amy shook her head. "They didn't want to worry her."

"Lucky her," Bright replied.

Once they reached the vending machines, Bright handed the change to Amy. "Take this. I have my own cash. I think I'm gonna go to the cafeteria and get some real food."

Amy frowned at the coins in her hand. "I can't eat anything right now."

Bright shrugged, "Do what you want with it." He grabbed April's hand, "We'll be back in a little bit."

Amy was so caught up in her own emotions, she never even thought twice of her brother taking April with him. After they left, Amy took a seat on the couch across from the machines. She put her face in her hands and began to sob. Ephram sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Shh." He whispered, pulling her head to his chest. She cried softly as he held her.

-

"What are you doing here?" Bright asked April as they walked toward the cafeteria.

"I came because your best friend is having surgery. I wanted to be here for you."

"But why? I mean you barely know me."

April stopped walking and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I thought that was the point. To get to know you."

He turned around to face her. "I'm not saying I don't want you here. Because I do. I just didn't think you would come. Have you talked to Wendell?"

She walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's not talk about Wendell right now. I just want to make you feel better." She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. He kissed her back fiercely, as if it would make all his pain disappear. She pulled away slightly and ran her lips up his neck and to his ear. "We should go somewhere else," She whispered. He nodded and led her down the hallway. They walked all the way outside to his truck, which was parked in a very dimly lit parking garage. He opened the doors and they both got in. April began kissing him immediately. He kissed her back and they began to make out. Bright's lips left hers and he began to trail them down her neck. She reached for the button on his jeans, when she felt his hand stop her. He got up and placed his head on the steering wheel.

He shook his head in dismay. "This is wrong in so many ways."

April sat upright and looked at him, unsure of how to respond.

"I mean, Colin is up there being operated on and I am down here about to hook up with a girl." He turned to look at her. "And not just any girl. A girl who I am really starting to like, but who still has a boyfriend."

"I'm sorry, I just…"

He shook his head, "I'm not blaming you. I'm blaming the situation. I just think we need to wait for a better time."

"That's what we keep saying. But when I am with you, I can't think straight."

"I understand. We'll just have to be stronger. Plus I would really like to take you out on a date first."

April laughed, "This is all so crazy."

He put his arm around her shoulders and nodded. "Would it be okay if we just stayed out here for a little while? Hospitals give me the creeps."

"Sure," She nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder.

-

Another A/N I know what you're thinking. A lot of sexual tension right? I know there are a lot of people who want Ephram and Lily to just go for it, but where would the fun be in that? But I am sure you can tell where Bright and April are headed. Let me know your thoughts.

Beama


	60. Upside Down

Lily looked down at the box of letters on her bed. She had read her father's words over and over until she had practically memorized them all. They were words of love, regret, sorrow and most of all hope. He had wanted to know her, be a part of her life. She had cried so much in the past few weeks, she didn't know if there were any tears left.

Colin died in surgery last week. Yesterday at his funeral was the longest she had since Ephram since. He was busy being Amy's friend. Which was fine with Lily, she had even encouraged it. She understood Amy's pain. She wondered what things Amy had that reminded her of Colin. Had he written her letters or poems? Did she have an album full of pictures of them together? It was weird to imagine that he was gone. Everyone believed he was untouchable, because he had been okay after his last surgery. But now the people in Everwood felt cheated. No one blamed Dr. Brown, but they still looked at him differently. He seemed so sad and tired at the funeral. And Amy, she had looked worse than Colin's family. She always looked on the verge of tears and there were dark circles under her eyes. Although Ephram stayed with Amy as much as possible (out of fear she might hurt herself), she still seemed to be doing poorly.

Bright, on the hand, was taking it the best. He was upset, but he still lived his life, just as before. Maybe he was just holding it in better. Whatever the reason, though, Amy didn't care. She was angry that he didn't seem more distraught. The past week had been an all out war at school. Bright and Amy fought anytime they so much as passed each other in the hall.

Lily spent her lunch hour with April and Wendell. She had tried sitting with Ephram and Amy, but it was awkward to say the least. The topic of conversation was always Colin and Amy. Lily understood Amy was depressed, but it was too hard to be around her. It's not like Amy wanted her around anyway. And although April and Wendell were still together, Colin's death had been the perfect excuse for April to hang out with Bright more. Lunch was pretty much the only time Wendell had been able to spend with April in the past week.

Lily sighed, sinking down into her bed. She just wanted things to be normal again, especially between her and Ephram. But with the way Amy was doing, she didn't know if she'd ever get Ephram back.

_(NEXT SCENE)_

Lily watched as April walked right past their lunch table. She furrowed her brow at Wendell.

"We broke up." He said noticing her look.

"I'm sorry." She responded sincerely.

He shrugged, trying to be casual about it. "She's spending too much time with Bright. I can understand Amy needing all of Ephram's time. She walks around like a zombie. I'm surprised she can dress herself in the morning. But Bright," he nodded in Bright's direction. As if to confirm Wendell's words, Bright had his arm slung around April's shoulders and was laughing whole-heartedly at something one of his buddies had said. "I think I might go stay with my brother. Everwood is the last place I want to be right now."

"Can you take me with you," Lily joked. She glanced over at Amy and Ephram a few feet away from them. They were deep in conversation, oblivious to anything around them.

Wendell followed Lily's gaze. "I don't have to leave right away." He said returning his gaze to Lily. "I mean I kinda feel we are the same right now. I can at least stay until the end of the year. Maybe by then Amy won't need him as much."

Lily smiled kindly. "Don't stay because of me. I'm pretty tough."

"I know. But it never hurts to have someone to eat lunch with." He snapped his fingers, as an idea hit him. "As a matter of fact, why don't we do something tonight? Maybe shoot some pool, go to the arcade, something. We need some fun."

Lily thought about it for a second. She had been cooped up in her house for the past week. And it would be nice to even just go somewhere. She nodded, "Okay, I'm in."

Wendell extended his hand to shake on it. Although, she found the gesture odd, she shook his hand anyway.

_(NEXT SCENE)_

Lily took a drag of her cigarette before blowing the smoke out of her open bedroom window.

Wendell sat next to her on the floor by the window. "This is the dress your mom wants you to wear." He looked down at the pastel yellow floral print dress "That is nasty."

"Tell me about it."

He closed the catalog and tossed it across the floor. He then wrapped his arms around his chest. "Hurry up with the cigarette, it is freezing in here."

Lily took one last long drag before putting it out. She closed the window and then popped a mint into her mouth.

"How do you fool your mom with that? Doesn't she wonder why you eat so many mints?"

She rolled her eyes, "She is oblivious to anything not connected to her wedding."

He nodded in understanding. "So what should we do tomorrow?"

"Not bowling again. I suck at that."

"Then bowling it is." Wendell mocked.

Lily heard footsteps on the stairs and a moment later she heard April's voice. "Lily, we really need to talk. I…." she stood in the doorway speechless when she saw Wendell.

Wendell got up quickly. "I should go anyway. See you tomorrow Lily."

Lily said good-bye as he walked past April and out the door.

"What's going on?" April asked, once Wendell was out of earshot.

"Not much. Just hanging out."

"I didn't know you two were such good friends."

"It's a very recent development, brought about by the current chain of events."

April walked over to Lily's bed and sat down. "Then I guess you know we broke up."

Lily nodded, sitting down next to her friend.

"I'm sorry I haven't been hanging out with you, it's just that Bright…."

Lily put her hand up, cutting April off. "Trust me I get it."

"Okay."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Mainly I wanted to tell you about me and Wendell." April said. "And that Bright and I have already started going out officially."

Lily nodded her head.

"Even though I spend so much time with Bright, I want us to still stay friends."

Lily hugged her friend. "Of course." She reassured her, although she wasn't sure if she should make any promises she didn't know if she could keep.


	61. What Am I To You

Okay I know it has been like forever since I updated my story and I am sure you all lost hope. I got a full-time job and it has been hard to balance everything I want to do with the time I have to do it. Anyway, I really do want to finish this story. I am going to try my hardest to make time to write. Please R&R.

_First Scene_

Ephram hung up the phone and walked over to the couch. "It was…"

"Amy" Lily finished in a sarcastic tone.

"Come on Lily. Not this fight again." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "We'll hang out tomorrow, I promise." He grabbed their coats. "I'll give you a ride home."

Lily got up from the couch with a sigh and followed him outside.

_Next Scene_

Once inside her house, Lily plopped herself down on the couch. She flipped through the T.V channels, hoping to find something that would drown out her thoughts. It had been a month since Colin had died and Amy had demanded almost every minute of Ephram's time since then. Lily highly doubted she was as vulnerable and weak as she appeared to be. But she couldn't tell Ephram that. Well actually she did and he argued and they fought and in the end, nothing changed. Ephram kept pointing out how lonely Amy was. That made Lily laugh at the irony of it. Although she never mentioned it to Ephram, she felt lonely all the time now. Her mom was gone most of the time doing wedding stuff or with David, April was always with Bright and his friends, and of course Amy and Ephram were glued to each other's sides. The only person she had was Wendell, which was good when she wanted to hang out, but he wasn't much for deep conversation. She just wished Ephram could see that Amy didn't need him as much as she claimed. In typical Ephram style, he wanted to be the hero.

Lily threw the remote down in frustration. Even T.V sucked right now. She got up from the couch and grabbed her coat. Her stomach was growling and she needed some fresh air. She decided to head downtown to get herself some pizza.

_Next Scene_

She stepped into the restaurant and took a deep breath, breathing in the warm aroma of pizza. If anything could make her feel better it was pizza. As she walked towards the counter, her high spirits sank. Just a few feet from where she stood she saw April, Bright, Amy and Ephram all sitting in a booth eating their own pizza. It took all her control not to run over there and pounce on Amy. She was sitting there all smiles, just having a grand old time. Lily's cheeks were burning and she just stood there, not sure what to do. Finally, Ephram looked up and saw her.

He smiled at her naively and waved for her to come over. She shook her head defiantly and started walking to the counter. Ephram threw a confused look in her direction before getting up and walking over to her.

"Did you walk here?"

She nodded, her eyes focused on the menu posted above the counter.

"But it is still cold outside. You could have called me. I would have picked you up or brought you some pizza."

"Unlike some girls, I can take care of myself thank you."

Ephram groaned. "What do you want me to do Lily? Not be her friend."

Lily turned slightly to look at him. "I want you to stop being her boyfriend."

"What in the hell are you talking about," he demanded his voice beginning to rise.

Lily glanced over and saw his friends all watching. She rubbed her forehead, willing away the headache that she felt coming on. "Not here. Not now. If you really want to talk to me, we'll talk, in private."

Ephram nodded, his jaw clenched, "Fine." He turned quickly and walked back to his booth.

Lily ordered her pizza, waited for it and walked out without ever looking back.

"Is everything okay?" Amy asked Ephram.

"Yeah."

"Did you have a fight?" she pressed.

Bright rolled his eyes, "Jeez Amy."

She glared at her brother, before turning her attention back to Ephram, "It's because of me isn't it? Because I've been taking all your time."

Ephram shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I'll work it out."

Amy didn't want to drop it, but she did.

Ephram pretended to listen as Bright filled the silence with one of his funny stories. But in reality his thoughts were miles away. He didn't understand why Lily was being so selfish. Amy was hurting right now. He was not acting like her boyfriend, just like a concerned friend. He was barely there for her when Colin had gotten sick again, so he had to make it up to her any way he could.

_Next Scene_

As soon as Lily walked into her house and saw her mom and David sitting down on the couch she knew something was up.

"Come sit down," her mom patted the spot next to her.

"Now what," Lily muttered under her breath before sitting down.

Mrs. Anders cleared her throat, "The thing is, David found this great job. They have hired him and want him to start as soon as possible. So we will need to move the wedding up."

"Okay," Lily furrowed her brow, "Is that all?"

David spoke up this time, "The job is not in Colorado. It's in Los Angeles. There is this trendy bar they are opening and…"

"Los Angeles," Lily interrupted, "In California?"

They both nodded.

Lily shook her head, "No way. I am not moving again."

"We aren't asking you Lily. You will go." Mrs. Anders said sternly.

Lily snorted, "We used to be a team. But ever since summer you have become a dictator. I hate this." Lily stormed off to her room slamming her door behind her.

_Next Scene_

Lily looked at the clock, 2:13pm on a Saturday. It was pathetic. Here she was in her room, trying to avoid another fight with her mom. Eventually she would have to go downstairs. She had already told her mom her reasons for wanting to stay. Next year was her senior year and it would suck to start a new school during her last year of high school. She said she could maybe stay with her grandparents in Denver and go to her old school. But that was quickly shot down. She even mentioned Ephram, but that didn't matter either. Her mom's mind was made up. She would be moving to LA after school let out.

Lily heard a knock on her door.

"I don't want to talk to you," she yelled through the door at her mom.

But the door opened anyway. She turned and saw Ephram standing there, instead her mom.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I didn't know it was you."

He sat down on her bed, "Is everything okay with your mom?"

"No not really," Lily sat up on the bed facing Ephram, "I guess you wanna talk about last night huh?"

He nodded. "I just don't understand why you are so mad. I thought you understood the situation."

"I understand you being her friend. But we haven't spent very much time together in the past month. I miss you."

"I miss you too," he replied genuinely. "Amy has been doing better lately. Maybe she won't need me as much."

She shook her head. "Every time she calls you drop everything and go to her. It's like you choose her over me time and time again. Nothing we do together is more important than her. How do you think that makes me feel?"

He looked at her with a sad expression, but didn't respond.

"Not only that, but I've seen some of your English papers and even your grades are starting to slip."

"School's never been my strong point," he joked.

"Ephram, you are going to have to start telling her no. I mean, I don't even feel like your girlfriend anymore. And you might want to make these next months count with me."

He threw her a perplexed look.

Lily moved so that she was sitting next to him on the bed. "I don't know how else to say this, except to just say it."

Now Ephram looked concerned. "What is it?" he probed.

"David is taking a job in LA. And my mom and I are moving with him after school lets out."

"WHAT? NO!"

"I tried talking to her, but she won't listen. So we could break up now and make it easier, or we could enjoy the rest of the year the best that we can."

Tears started welling up in Ephram's eyes and he pulled him into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"I don't want you to go."

"Neither do I," she whispered, choking back her own tears.


	62. Running Out of Days

Lily was sitting in the recliner as Ephram practiced his recital piece. She was quietly writing in her journal all the things that sucked about LA. So far she had come up with 12 things.

"Okay," Ephram turned around on the piano bench, "I am done practicing for today."

He walked over to Lily and sat on the arm of the chair. "I hate that we only have like 2 months together and I have to spend my time playing the piano."

"At least I still get to be here with you." She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Feel any better yet?" she asked coyly.

"Kissing you always makes me feel better." He smiled. "It's just that it's been almost a week since we found out you're moving, and yet I've spent more time without you. First it was Amy and now it's the piano."

"You can't really compare the two. Piano is your future. It's your ticket to something great. Nothing should get in the way of that."

"But it's not the piano I dream about at night."

Lily grinned, "Good to know. I worry about that sometimes."

Ephram shook his head with a laugh, "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Pretty much." She joked back.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her up to her feet with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. "I know we promised to make the best of this time, but I can't stop thinking about how much I'm gonna miss you. Maybe if I talk to your mom…"

Lily shook her head slightly, interrupting his statement, "I don't think that would make a difference."

"There's gotta be something we can do. Maybe if we put our heads together with April and Wendell we can come up with something."

Lily kissed Ephram softly on the lips, as tears began to form in her eyes. "I'll try anything."

"And if that doesn't work, it's only a year. Then we can go to colleges that are close to each other. Especially if I get into Julliard. There are a bunch of great colleges in that area."

"Oh Ephram," she caressed his cheek tenderly. "Long distance relationships are so hard. A year will feel like forever."

"What are you saying?"

"I just thought we'd break up when I left."

"Wow," he raised his eyebrows, "I didn't realize…That makes it worse."

"I'm sorry Ephram."

"Now that I know, there is no way you're leaving. If I have to hide you in my room for a year, that's what I'll do."

She laughed, "You'd have to keep it cleaner."

He pulled her closer to him, "No see that's the strategy. I'll hide you under the mess."

"Oh thanks." She paused for a second, giving him an encouraging smile. "We still have time. Maybe we can convince my mom before then."

He nodded before kissing her again.

_(Next Scene)_

April and Bright were stretched out on April's bed while Ephram sat behind Lily, on the floor, his arms wrapped around her.

"I wish Wendell would have come." Lily commented.

"He's still not comfortable around me. We haven't talked since the break-up," April sighed.

"If we can't come up with any solid ideas, I'll talk to him myself," Ephram responded before continuing with the business at hand. "Okay, we have got to try to come up with ideas that will convince Lily's mom to let her stay."

"First I need to figure out where I can stay before my mom would even think about it."

"My house," April replied.

"Or my house," Ephram responded in turn.

Lily looked up at him, "Considering she is paranoid about me making her mistakes, I know she won't go for that. And the fact that I love you wasn't even reason enough for her to let me stay. She told me I'm too young to be settling down and I would find another great guy in LA."

Ephram frowned, "I thought your mom liked me."

"She does. She just doesn't believe teenagers know anything about love."

"Damn," Bright spoke up, "I don't see how we can convince your mom, without letting her know it's because of Ephram. What else do you have here?"

April shot him a look. "She has me."

"But I don't think friends will be any more convincing." Bright stated.

"He's right." Lily said with a nod.

They all sat silent, trying to think of ideas. Lily could see her mom turning down everything. She didn't have much hope, but she went along with the idea for Ephram's sake. She knew her mom and how stubborn she was. She couldn't even imagine what it would take to change her mind.

"Maybe if you make it about her," April suggested.

"What do you mean," Lily asked her.

"If you make it sound like your staying here would benefit her. You could point out the fact she is newly married and would probably like time alone with her new husband."

"That might work Lily," Ephram nodded, "Neither of you have gotten along so well in the past few months. You could even suggest you need a break from each other."

Lily nodded slowly as she thought about it. "That could work. That still leaves where I will stay though."

Bright spoke up again, "You could leave that up to her. Make her feel like she has some control. Parents love control."

Lily rested her head on Ephram's chest with a smile. She was starting to feel the first glimpses of hope. Maybe this could work. She was gonna give it a hell of a try no matter what.

"I think I'll wait until after her wedding. She is so preoccupied right now."

"I can't believe it's next Saturday. How is she gonna pull that," April asked.

Lily shrugged, "I don't know. It is gonna be way smaller, I know that for sure. And I don't have to wear that hideous dress she had picked out for me."

April sighed heavily, "This has to work out Lily. I don't want you to go."

"I know." Lily said softly.

Ephram hugged her tighter to him. Lily wasn't sure what would happen. But at that moment, as she lay against Ephram's chest, his arms wrapped around her, it didn't matter. For now she felt safe and loved. She just let those feelings wash over her. Enjoying the moment she was in.

_(Next Scene)_

Amy turned to Ephram, as they walked down the main street of Everwood. "Thanks for the movie."

He turned to her with a smile, "Of course. Thanks for be so understanding about our time together."

She nodded, "I do feel a lot better now. You've been a great friend, Ephram. But then again you always have been."

"I could have been a better friend."

"How so?"

He stopped and faced her, "When Colin got sick again. I didn't even know. My dad had to tell me."

She shrugged, "You had a lot going on with Lily and everything. I understand that."

He nodded slightly, a frown on his face.

"What is it?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets, a pained expression on his face. "It's Lily. She's moving to LA."

"What? When?"

"After school ends."

Lily looked thoughtful, taking in what he had just said. "Is she moving in with her dad or something?"

He shook his head. "Her mom's future husband took a job in LA." He paused for a second. "You really don't know much about Lily do you?"

"Why would I?"  
He wrinkled his brow, "I always tell you and Lily how I wish you two were friends. But now I see why that's never happened."

Amy looked confused.

Ephram continued, "I never talk about Lily with you. I mean I talk about me and Lily, but that's it. The same goes for Lily, when I talk about you."

"Where did all this come from?" She asked curiously.

"When you asked if she was going to live with her dad, it hit me. You don't know her dad died this summer."

Amy put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. "I had no idea."

"That's what I'm saying. You and Lily don't get along, and for no good reason, except that you don't know each other."

"I can try to be her friend, or at least get to know her. Especially considering all you've done for me."

"It would make it easier on me. Then we could all hang out together more and it wouldn't be weird."

"What are you going to do when she leaves?" Amy asked sadly.

"I don't know. Right now we are fighting to get her mom to let her stay. We got together with April and Bright yesterday and discussed some ideas."

"What are the chances she will get to stay?"

He shrugged, "I honestly don't know. But she can't leave. I love her."

"I know," Amy nodded. "If you need my help in any way, just let me now"

"Thanks," he replied with gratitude.

_(Next Scene)_

Amy looked around the cafeteria. She spotted her friends that she always sat with, but today she planned on sitting somewhere else. She scanned the room, until she saw Ephram. He was sitting with Lily and Wendell. She took a deep breath, before walking over to them. Now was as good a time as any to get to know Lily.

"Hey guys. I was wondering if I could eat lunch with you." She specifically looked at Lily and smiled.

Lily gave her a perplexed expression, but nodded just as Ephram said yes and Wendell pulled out the chair next to him.

"So what's up?" she asked casually, taking a sip of her water.

"We were just about to hear an idea Lily had." Ephram answered.

"You mean to get your mom to let you stay in Everwood?" Amy asked her.

Lily still looked caught off guard, but she nodded again in response.

"So come on, spill it," Wendell demanded.

Lily shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not really wanting to talk about this with Amy there. But everyone was watching her expectantly. She cleared her throat, "I was just thinking, maybe if I talked to David first he could help me try to convince my mom. That would give me extra clout, you know?"

Ephram's face lit up, "That could work. You should try that."

"I'm about to ask a dumb question," Amy interrupted, "But who is David?"

"That's my mom's fiancé," Lily answered.

Amy nodded, "Okay, I get it now." She smiled again at Lily, hoping to make Lily feel more at ease with her. This time Lily returned the smile, it was brief and Amy would have missed it had she not been watching her, but it was there. Maybe there was hope for a friendship with her after all.


	63. Wedding Day

Lily looked at her and Ephram's reflection in the mirror. She smiled at how good they looked together. He was wearing a gray dress shirt under his black suit. He topped it all off with a black and gray stripped tie. Lily was wearing a black halter dress with a few red roses running diagonally along the front. She had died her hair back to its original color of brown with maroon streaks and it was pulled up into a French bun.

"Are you ready to go?" Ephram asked, as he turned to face her.

"Yes."

He reached out and held her hands. "You look amazing." He pulled her to him. He was about to kiss her, but stopped abruptly. "You probably don't want me to mess up your lipstick." He kissed her on the cheek instead. "I'll see you downstairs."

He was about to leave when she grabbed his arm and turned him around. "I don't give a damn about my make-up." As if to prove her point she pulled his face to hers and kissed him deeply.

"Now you can go." She told them after their kiss ended.

"See you in a few." He said with a smile, before leaving her room.

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram twirled Lily out before bringing her back into his arms. She laughed, her cheeks flushed from the sun as well as from all the dancing. Ephram's sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he had removed his coat and tie soon after the reception started. There was a slight breeze that made the outdoor celebration bearable. But the heat of the sun was strong enough to keep most people in their chairs and off the dance floor.

"Do you remember the last time we danced together," Ephram asked with a smile.

"How could I forget? It was the first time we kissed."

"Unless of course you count the time you kissed me, after that fight with Elijah."

Lily grinned, "I didn't realize that had such an affect on you. I just felt so responsible and I did it without even thinking."

"Well it definitely had an affect on me. I liked you before that happened. It just made me wonder if you liked me. After that you were a permanent fixture in my head."

"Hmm."

"What's the hmm for?" he asked curiously as they danced.

"I didn't like you then. At least if I did, I wasn't admitting it. But maybe I did it subconsciously, because I really did want to kiss you."

"Probably so, since I am so irresistible." He joked.

She grinned, "That you are."

"As are you," He paused for a second, as he thought about the first real kiss they shared. "Of course, the kiss at the dance was more satisfying."

"Is that so?" she asked boldly. She ran her lips up his neck, and stopped only when she got to his ear, "It was definitely the best kiss I've ever had." She whispered in his ear.

He shuddered as her voice tickled his ear. "You can't tease me in public. That's not fair."

"But it's so fun," she responded before she moved her lips to his, teasing him further.

April put her head in her hand as she watched Ephram and Lily wistfully. "I sure hope for their sake that she gets to stay. They love each other so much."

Bright swallowed his cake before replying. "She talked to David right?"

April turned to Bright, a smile still on her face, "Yes, and he agreed to help her."

Bright nodded, "That's a good start." He shoved another piece of cake into his mouth, "This is really good cake," He said with his mouth full.

April looked down at her half eaten cake and slid it over to Bright. "Want the rest of mine."

"Yeah. You're awesome." Bright answered with a goofy grin.

"Hey,"

April looked up and saw Lily and Ephram. They sat down across from her and Bright. "Tired yet?" She asked them.

"And sore. These heels are killing me." Lily replied. "And since this is my house I am going to go change my shoes. Does anyone need anything while I'm up?"

Ephram finished off his water before shaking his head no.

"I'll go with you," April got up from the table and walked with her friend into the house.

"So, how's it going?" Bright asked once the girls had gone into the house.

"Good actually. And how are things going with you?"

"Good, good," He nodded.

"Good," Ephram replied.

They sat there for a minute in silence, until Bright started laughing. "This is weird dude. I mean, we used to talk."

"We can still talk. I've actually kind of missed that."

"Yeah, me too." Bright pushed his empty plate aside and turned to Ephram, "I'm glad you and Lily are happy. My sister kinda screwed with you heart last year. But it looks like things are good with her and Lily, and everything."

"Things always have a way of working themselves out. Funny, you know, when crappy things happen, you think, there's no way I'm going to make it another day. But you do. And eventually one day becomes a week, and then a month, and down the road things become okay again."

"I know what you mean. That's how I feel about Colin," Bright said solemnly, "I know it looks like I'm just fine, since I'm not walking around like a zombie, like Amy is. But I'm sad too, you know? I lost my best friend, and I can't see how it could ever stop hurting. So I surround myself with people. My family, my friends, my girlfriend. That makes it easier somehow."

"People are amazing that way."

"Yeah," Bright agreed.

_(Next Scene)_

Lily removed her shoes the minute she walked in. "Aww," she sighed in relief, "Who invented heals anyway?"

April shrugged, "The adult film industry. Those women never walk in them, they're just for show."

Lily shook her head, all the while laughing at her friend's comment.

"So what did you need?" Lily asked after she had contained her giggling.

April threw her friend a quizzical look as they walked up the stairs.

"I thought you came with me because you needed something," Lily clarified.

"Oh that. No I just wanted to come with."

When they got to her room, Lily walked to her closet and put on her black flip flops.

"So…you're gonna have the house to yourself until Wed, right? April asked sitting on the bed.

"Yeah. But I'm not going to throw a party or anything. I need to be on my best behavior if I want to stay here."

April shook her head. "I don't want you to throw a party. I was just thinking that this is the first time you and Ephram have had a chance to be totally alone since you've gone out again."

"Don't imply, April. Just spit it out." Lily sat down next to her.

"The thing is, you love Ephram, he loves you and there is a huge chance you'll be moving to California in May. Maybe you should consider taking your relationship to the next level."

"You don't think I've thought about it before?"

"But things are different now that you might be leaving. I just think it would be a perfect good-bye. And you would never forget each other you know?"

"I could never forget him anyway." Lily responded thoughtfully.

"I'm talking about when you are like 40 or something, because he will always be your first."

"I don't understand why you care so much."

April smiled at her friend, "You give me hope. Hope that someday I can have what you and Ephram have. My first time wasn't with any special guy and I can't go back and undo that. I saw how you were when you and Ephram broke up last time and I'm worried you might end up doing something you regret. But if you choose to be with Ephram, you will always have that connection, you know?"

Lily wiped away the tears that were starting to fall. "I'm not gone yet. How if I do this and then I stay?"

"So? Would it be that tragic?"

"Sex changes everything, April. I don't know if I am ready for what it would do to our relationship."

April nodded, "I understand. I just wanted you to think about it while you have this place to yourself. I know you probably don't want your first time to be in a car or something like that."

"I appreciate your advice and for the record, I had thought about it already. I mean as far as during this weekend. But I'm still not sure."

April nodded in understanding. "Well if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here."

"Thank you," Lily hugged her friend. Afterward they headed back downstairs together.

**Please Read and Review!**


	64. Not Like I Planned

Lily stood on Nina's porch Sunday morning with her suitcase next to her feet. Lily glared at her mother behind her back as Mrs. Anders talked to Nina.

"I really appreciate you letting her stay with you," Mrs. Anders smiled at Nina.

"No problem. I'm sure it'll be great." Nina smiled back. She walked over and picked up Lily's suitcase, "Here let me show you where you'll sleep."

Lily smiled politely for Nina's sake. She knew it wasn't her fault her mom was ruining her life.

Lily's mom reached over to hug her daughter, but Lily quickly pulled away and headed into Nina's house.

Mrs. Anders sighed before heading back to her car.

Lily followed Nina upstairs to the guest bedroom. There wasn't much in it except a bed and a dresser. The comforter was pale blue with tiny white flowers and the curtains were a matching blue. Already Lily didn't like the way this week was starting out.

"This wasn't what you had in mind was it?" Nina's voice startled Lily out of her thoughts.

She shook her head, "No it's fine. Just not my own room, ya know?"

"I understand. You don't have to be polite and pretend that you want to be here. I can imagine you would have had more fun alone in your house."

"It's not so bad, honest. The thing is my mom didn't tell me I was staying here until last night."

"Really," Nina cringed, "I'm sorry. Had you already made plans?"

"Um…" Lily blushed, "No..I mean I hadn't decided…I mean planned anything specific."

"On the bright side your mom only had a few rules. No staying out past 10, no boys spending the night and get your homework done. You can still hang out with Ephram. Heck he lives next door."

Lily grinned, "That is a bonus. How far do you think it is from the window in here to the ground?"

Nina laughed, "Don't get any crazy ideas." She started to leave the room so Lily could unpack. But she turned back around when she got to the doorway, "It's about 15 feet."

Lily smiled to herself, _Maybe it won't be so horrible here after all._

_(Next Scene)_

Ephram looked around the room with a nod. "It's cute."

Lily plopped down on the bed, "Yeah if you're like 60."

Ephram laughed and sat down beside her. "Well you only have to be here for four days."

Lily put her hands behind her head. "The room isn't my thing. But Nina's cool. Of course I've only been here a few hours."

"There's no way I'd pass up a chance to see you. I was hoping your window would look into mine. I guess that only happens in movies."

"Sucks to be you." She punched him lightly in the arm, "What did you think, I was going to do like that girl on American Beauty and let you film me naked?"

"I'm not a pervert." Ephram raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't have to film you."

Lily groaned and rolled her eyes. "Come here you," she grabbed his shirt pulling him closer to her. "Looks like you will just have to be patient instead," She replied before bringing her lips to his.

_(Next Scene)_

Lily walked over to Nina, who was rinsing the dishes. "Here let me help." She stared loaded the dishes into the dishwasher.

"Thanks"

"Well thanks for dinner."

Nina shrugged, "Although your mom never specified, I figured feeding you was a part of the deal."

Lily laughed. "Good call."

"I was thinking tomorrow night we could invite the Browns over for dinner."

"That'd be cool"

Nina nodded, "Then it's done. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your mom called earlier while you and Ephram were at the movies. She said they made it safely and wants you to call her back."

Lily's only response was a small nod.

"Are you still mad at her for dropping you off here?"

Lily sighed, "It's not just that. It seems like I've been perpetually mad at her lately. But she likes to pretend everything is fine. I hate that, but I don't even know how to begin talking to her. At least about all the stuff that's bothering me. I mean we used to talk, about everything, but now…we just don't."

Nina put the last dish in and closed the dishwasher. She took Lily's hand and led her to the table. They both sat down beside each other. Nina turned and faced Lily, "I can tell you that your mom feels the same way. She doesn't even know where to begin. She tells me all the time how she wishes she could talk to you."

"Really?"

Nina nodded, "One of you needs to be brave and just start being honest. Then the other person will be able to open up as well."

"It's hard though. I've tried. I'll be in my room thinking about what to say or I'll write in my journal what I want to say, but the minute I see her, I feel angry again and I close up."

"Maybe this short time away from your mom will help you to get your thoughts together so you can talk to her. If you want to practice with me, if that would make it easier to vocalize you thoughts, just let me know."

"Ok, thanks."

Nina patted Lily's hand and smiled. "Of course."

_-------_

_Okay, I hate to admit this but I am having a horrible case of writer's block. That is why I haven't updated in a while. I know in general what I want to see, but I am having a hard time getting to that point. Please, Please give me ideas and suggestions, you can email them to me or post them in the review section. I really want to start updating my story at least weekly, but first the ideas need to start flowing again.. Sorry the chapter was short. As always Read and Review!_

_-Beama-_


	65. Caught

Lily lay next to Ephram, her head against his chest. He ran his hands through her hair as they talked.

"So you're really going to tell your mom everything?"

"Yep. I think now is as good a time as any. I don't know id it will change her mind about letting me stay, but she needs to know how I feel."

Ephram nodded in agreement before changing the subject. "Dinner last night was cool. I like being next door to you."

"Me too." Lily smiled up at him.

"Wait a minute," Ephram said getting excited, "Why didn't we think of this before?"

Lily lifted her head from Ephram's chest and looked at him curiously.

He placed his hands on her face and grinned from ear to ear. "You could stay with Nina. How perfect would that be? Your mom trusts her and we would get to live next door to each other."

"I don't know. That's a lot to ask of her. Staying here for a few days is one thing, but a year?"

"You said yourself you and Nina get a long. It could work out." Ephram caressed her cheek with his thumb. "If it means you get to stay, isn't it worth a shot?"

Lily smiled, "Yes. It definitely is." She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, as if to prove her statement. He kissed her back and gently pushed her back down on the bed. They continued kissing, with each kiss getting more passionate than the last. Soon they were so lost in each other, they became unaware of their surroundings. Eventually Ephram's lips moved down to her neck. At the same time he stroked her stomach underneath her shirt.

"Hey Lily your….," Nina stopped in midsentence taking in the scene in front of her.

Hearing Nina's voice Ephram jumped off Lily.

"I think you should go home now Ephram," Nina said firmly.

He nodded and left without arguing. He glanced back at Lily before leaving and they exchanged weak smiles.

"Your mom's on the phone. You need to talk to her. You can't avoid her all week."

Lily nodded and got up from the bed. Before she could head downstairs Nina stopped her, "And after you're done talking to her, I want to talk with you."

Lily nodded again and then headed downstairs to the phone.

---------------------------------

As soon as Lily had gotten off the phone she walked over to the couch and sat down beside Nina.

"How was your talk with your mom?"

"Fine. Just small talk really."

"Do you still plan on talking to her about your feelings when she gets home?"

"Yeah. At least I want to."

Nina patted Lily's leg. "I know you can do it."

"Nina, can we please just get to the talk you really want to have with me. I'm embarrassed enough as it is. Ephram and I weren't going to do anything more, I promise."

Nina smiled, hoping to put Lily at ease. "Lily, I'm not your mom. I have no right to tell you what to do. I was just shocked. I'm not used to having a teenager in the house. Plus, I'm not really sure what you are and aren't allowed to do at home."

"I'm not allowed to do anything." Lily said rolling her eyes.

Nina laughed, "It can't be that bad."

"I know I only have one more day here, but any rules you set from here forward I will follow. I didn't mean to weird you out."

"It wasn't that you weirded me out," she paused, "Well maybe I did get weirded out a little. But mostly I worry about Sam. He's still young and how if he would have been the one that saw you. I just want to keep him as innocent as possible for as long as I can. And considering he goes to public school, I know I don't have long."

"I didn't even think about Sam."

"It's ok. You've only been here a few days. And it always takes time to get used to a new environment."

"Are you going to tell my mom what happened?"

"I don't know if I should? It would seem to me that she is probably aware that you and Ephram are close. You've been dating for a while now. So I don't see what difference it would make."

"We're not that close." A blush crept into Lily's cheeks. "I mean not in the way my mom is worried about."

"Really? Well good for you."

"I guess," Lily wrinkled her brow.

Nina looked at her quizzically, "If you're not doing it because you aren't ready then that's a good thing."

"But I don't know if I'm not ready."

"That doesn't make sense. You'll know when you're ready."

"The thing is my mom is so scared of me repeating her mistakes that she is so against me doing anything when I am still in high school. So I don't know if I'm not ready because I am afraid of ending up like her or if I'm truly not ready based on my own feelings. Plus there is so much pressure from both sides. My mom says no, my friends say yes, Ephram has made it clear he is ready when I am. So any decision I make, how do I know it wasn't because of pressure from someone else?"

"Wow. I had forgotten how hard it is to be a teenager." Nina paused for a second before she answered. "I don't know how you would know for sure, because your mom, your friends, and Ephram have already put their influence on you. Maybe you should try to imagine it in your head."

Lily's eyes got wide, "Right now!"

Nina laughed, "No. Later. But be as realistic as possible. Honestly think about the situation as realistically as possible. Then see how you feel in that situation."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, the location. Neither of you have your own place, so realistically where would you end up doing it. Would it be a car, his room when his dad is away? Then once you pick the place think about how you or he would initiate it. What would you say, what would you do? Does it embarrass you to think of being naked in front of him, etc.? After your scenario you can evaluate how you felt. I think that would be a good indicator of whether or not you are ready."

"Wow. I don't think I've ever thought about it in that much depth."

"It's just something to think about, might make your decision a little bit clearer."

Lily smiled, "Thanks Nina. This talk was helpful."

She smiled back. "I'm glad."

---------------------------------

Ephram slid into the driver's seat of his car. Lily sat next to him.

"Was Nina pissed about last night?" Ephram asked concerned.  
"No," Lily shook her head, "We just caught her off guard. She did mention she didn't want Sam to see us kissing and stuff, but other than that she was cool. We even had a good conversation. I don't think I would mind so much if I stayed with her next year."

"What was your good conversation about?"

"Sex." Lily said nonchalantly.

"What?" Ephram exclaimed. "Like sex between us?"

"Yeah. Does that bother you?"

He nodded, "Yeah. It's a little weird. I mean she's my dad's friend. I don't want her knowing about my sex life."

"You don't have a sex life."

"Or lack thereof. Either way it's weird."

"Well Mr. Narcissist, it wasn't really about you. It was more about me trying to figure out if I am ready to have sex."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "So are you ready?'

"Maybe."

"Maybe? What kind of an answer is that?"

"It's the only answer your gonna get right now. This isn't a discussion I am gonna have on the way to school."

"Look, if you're ready, we can skip school. It'd be a sacrifice, but I'm willing to do it." He joked.

Lily punched his arm playfully, "I am well aware that you are ready and willing."

"Just double checking." He said with a grin.

---------------------------------

Mrs. Anders, Nina and David sat at Nina's table as Lily packed her stuff upstairs.

"How was she?" Beth asked.

"She was great. We didn't have any problems."

"Good. I'm glad. I really appreciate you taking care of her."

"I didn't have to do a whole lot. She's pretty independent. How was your trip?"

Beth sighed with a smile, "Perfect. I didn't want to come home."

David squeezed his wife's hand and smiled back at her.

Lily came down then, suitcase in hand. David got up and carried her suitcase out to the car. Everyone said their good-byes and Lily walked begrudgingly to the car, not at all anxious about her upcoming talk with her mother.

"It's been a long day." Mrs. Anders said as she walked into Lily's room, "I think I am going to hit the bed early tonight. I just wanted to tell you good-night."

"Wait," Lily got up from her bed, "I need to talk to you."

"Is everything okay?" Her mom asked concerned.

"No it's not."

"Did something happen when I was gone?"

"No. Other than I've been doing some thinking. It's about us."

Mrs. Anders nodded, encouraging her daughter to continue.

"I think somewhere between summer and now we have lost trust and respect for each other. The few days away from you was helpful. It's easier to be angry when I am around you. But when you are gone I can focus on what has gone wrong and maybe how to fix it. We still have a long way to go. A few days aren't enough time to figure everything out."

"Is this your new idea to get me to let you stay?" Mrs. Anders asked wearily. "Because if it is, I'm just too tired to hear it right now."

Lily took a deep breath forcing herself to stay calm and not get angry at her mom. "No. It's the truth. I don't have all the right words right now to explain myself better. But I talked to Nina and I was able to kind of understand what I am feeling. I miss our old relationship. And I think with time we can get that back. We just need to trust each other again. But when I am around you, I get so angry and I need to work on that. We've both hurt each other. I'm afraid if we keep going like this, there will be no turning back. I have one more year before I can be on my own. I don't want to go off and never have a relationship with you."

Tears began to slide down her mom's cheeks. "I want our relationship back too. Maybe we can work something out with your grandparents."

"Or with Nina."

"Nina?"

Lily nodded her head, "I did well there and I really like her. I don't know if she would keep me for a year, but we could at least ask her."

Mrs. Anders stayed quiet for a moment. She wiped her tears with her fingers before continuing, "I'll talk to her."

"Really?" Lily asked, with a huge smile on her face.

"Yes."

"Thank you," Lily smiled genuinely at her mom.

Her mom smiled back at her daughter, before leaving the room.


	66. Lily's Last Entry

_Mon. April 26:_

_It seems weird now even writing in this journal. I started this in order to better deal with all the crap in my life. But somehow things have worked out. My mom is letting me stay with Nina. I do have to spend summer with my mom and David in California. But that's only for 3 months. Ephram had his audition for Julliard in Boulder. They picked him for a summer program for 6 weeks starting in June and they are going to give him another audition next winter to see if he gets accepted. Next year is my last year of high school, which is beyond awesome. Soon I will be on my own, doing whatever I want to do. So right now, things are good!_

_--------------------------------------------------_

This is the end of the story. I am thinking about doing a part 2 and starting it their senior year. I have some good plot ideas. Please R&R, even if you have never reviewed before. Every opinion matters to me.

Beama


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